Falling Stars
by Yu-Gi-Ohhh
Summary: When Lucy decides to go on her first solo mission, she encounters something odd yet mystical along the way, a Celestial Key made of gems, shimmering with whispers of forgotten magic. This is the spark to Fairy Tail's hardest mission yet as Lucy then receives a letter written in a perplexing foreign tongue mysteriously alike to Layla Heartfilia's handwriting...for her eyes only...
1. Celestial Requirements

**Celestial Requirements**

Fairy Tail was oddly quiet on a late Thursday afternoon. The sun was just beginning to set on the horizon, the city of Magnolia bathed in a beautiful orange glow. Inside the Guild Hall, Mages of all types of Magic were sitting peacefully, a definite change from the usual rowdy fights that broke out inside the Guild. One of the reasons for the sudden change it atmosphere was that three of the most likely mages to start the battles, Natsu, Erza and Grey, were all out of town. The Weapon Mistress had left on an S-Class quest earlier that morning with the Ice Mage, this fact alone infuriating the Dragon Slayer of the team when he had not been invited along with them. After his best friend, Lucy, had declined his request to accompany him on spying on their teammates, he'd gone off with his exceed, Happy, to do it anyway. This was, of course, after his blonde-haired partner had told him not to do so, yet Natsu Dragneel could not be convinced out of doing something once his mind was set on it. So, with a short sigh of exasperation, a wish of good luck and a smile and wave, she reluctantly saw the two off on their adventure.

Now the Celestial Mage was standing in front of the request board, rocking up and down absentmindedly on the tip of her toes. Her hands were clasped behind her as her eyes flickered over the various jobs tacked up in front of her. Without her fellow team mates by her side, Lucy decided it'd be a good opportunity to take on her very first solo mission. Excitement bubbled through her at the thought of successfully completing a job on her own, seeing Natsu, Erza and Grey look at her in surprise before congratulating her. She couldn't wait for that moment. They'd all arrive back from their own jobs and she'd just casually mention she completed a solo mission and watch their jaws drop. Lucy also felt bad for relying on her team mates sometimes during their group missions. She could fight her own battles with her keys, but Natsu, Grey and Erza had been there to get her out of a pinch so many times she'd lost count. Maybe this could also be a way of thanking them for helping out with her rent. If she found a well-paying job, she could treat them to dinner or something.

_Then again_, she thought bitterly, _it's not like Natsu and Happy don't constantly raid my fridge._ Shaking away her thoughts, she refocused on the task at hand.

_Let's see, let's see. Bringing in some crooks, rebuilding a shrine, recapturing an escaped prisoner…wait._ Pausing mid-thought, Lucy's features contorted in surprise at the sight of something written in cursive at the bottom of a flyer that seemed quite intriguing. "Celestial Mage required?" she read out loud, eyes wide in disbelief. _"Assistance needed in Starlight Town to help rid the town of Dark Mages, Celestial Mage required in town for eight days."_ She untacked the request and re-read the words over again. _"Help needed ASAP. 90,000 jewels and rare Celestial Key as a reward?"_ her lips curved into a smile. Not only was that a perfect amount of money she needed to keep her home for the next month, but there was 20,000 left over and a Celestial Key with apparent rarity? "That's my rent done! I'll do it! This job is the one!" she said to herself in glee, hugging the paper to her chest. Not a heartbeat later, she skipped towards the bar where a close friend of hers spent most of her time at serving drinks to her fellow Guild mates. "Mira, look!" Lucy cheered, catching the white-haired woman's immediately with the request she was giddily waving around.

"Your first solo mission, huh?" Mira smiled, her eyes full of excitement for the girl standing before her. Lucy nodded eagerly, pressing the paper into the elder girl's hands. She looked over the request, scanning the words with a thoughtful look. "You'll be gone for eight days?"

Lucy nodded once again. "Yeah, but the requesters seem like good people and I want to help them out." She smiled. "Eight days isn't that long, anyway. I might even come home early if I do a good job!" the blonde leaned forward with a wide grin upon her lips. She tapped on the bar with a slight impatience as the _Sorcerer Weekly_ model sorted out the paperwork for her mission's approval. After spending so much time with Natsu, some of his traits had rubbed off on her, such as his stubbornness and as she noticed, his impatience. She mentally rolled her eyes at the thought of becoming alike to him, the mission-crazy and fight-crazy Dragon Slayer she called her partner.

"Okay, it's approved! Good luck, Lucy." Mira said the last part with a little less enthusiasm and even slight concern that the Stellar Mage didn't quite pick up.

Lucy returned her words with a smile and nodded, her gaze determined. "Thanks Mira. I'll see you in a few days, then." She hugged her friend in farewell before saying goodbye to the rest of her fellow Guild members. They wished her good fortune as she left Fairy Tail, ready to take on her first solo mission. She clenched her fist and looked up to the sky. _Let's do this, Lucy!_ She punched her fist in the air, eagerly rushing home to begin packing.

Loke, who had opened his own gate to visit, had his arm around his Key Owner as they boarded the train, which in fact was the first of many they'd have to board in order to reach the Celestial Mage's clients. Lucy had pushed him off of her the first three times, but eventually just let him be. So they took their seats, the Spirit sitting closely next to her with a smirk on his lips that she returned with a roll of her eyes. "You know you don't have to escort me there," Lucy said as the train began to pull out from the station. "I'm sure I can make it to Starlight perfectly fine on my own. I'm completely capable, Loke." She blushed involuntarily as he pulled her closer to him.

"But it's your first solo mission, and it's my duty to protect you." Loke smiled, affectionately patting her head with his free hand. Lucy rolled her eyes once again and huffed in annoyance, believing he was simply patronising her. After a few moments, though, she sighed, relaxing against her friend.

"I guess it's different." She said in a thoughtful tone, tapping her chin as she stared at the empty seats across from them in the booth they were seated in. "Not having Natsu moaning and being sick everywhere or having him and Grey fighting. That's a change. And Erza's luggage is always interesting to see when she's shoving it onto the train." She gave a laugh at the last sentence, reminiscing.

"Well, you have me if you get lonely." Loke grinned. "Though I didn't bring any luggage and I don't get motion sickness." He said for an afterthought.

Lucy laughed for a few moments before recomposing herself. "Thanks anyway, Loke. You're a good friend for keeping me company like this. Normally I only see you when you're fighting." She chuckled.

Loke shrugged. "It's part of the job, but I still get to see you when I'm blocking attacks from hitting you." he said jokingly, causing her to lightly shove him in response. "What about we hang out some time soon? Someplace that isn't a battlefield?" He nudged her playfully, his voice teasing.

"Yeah." Lucy agreed with a nod. "You should come visit Fairy Tail; you haven't seen everyone in a while."

"Sure." Loke said. "Maybe I'll bring Aries with me…"

Lucy smirked at his words and this time _she _nudged him with her elbow. "So, _you _and_ Aries_, huh?" she teased knowingly. "When are you finally getting together?" she laughed when Loke's face began to redden.

"We're not like that," he said, shaking his head with an uneasy laugh.

"But what about you and Natsu?" he quickly asked, attempting to avert the conversation from himself to tease his Key Owner back.

Lucy rolled her eyes for the third time. "Firstly, just…_no_." she said in response to the thought of her and her fire-eating Nakama. She'd been down a road like that before, after stupidly listening to Mirajane and her crazy ideas. She didn't think she'd ever listen to the Take-Over Mage's love advice _ever _again. "Secondly, don't change the subject, Loke. I'm genuinely curious about you and Aries, okay?" she smiled down at her pouch that held her precious keys safe, fondly patting the leather. "You all are precious to me; I love all of you dearly."

Loke smiled at her, hugging her tighter. "And we love all of you, and I'm sure under all those…err…_scales_, even Aquarius adores you. We all couldn't have asked for a better Celestial Mage." He patted her head once more and her cheeks burned.

"I guess I couldn't ask for better Celestial Spirits." She grinned. "Hey, I've got an idea!" she reached for her keys, pulling out one in particular and pointing it to the free space beside her. "Open! Gate of the Ram: Aries!" she cried, the key flashing gold before the beloved Spirit appeared before them.

"M-Miss Lucy, Loke!" she stuttered in surprise at not being in the middle of a battle, like almost every other time she'd ever been summoned.

"Hey!" Lucy grinned, giving a friendly wave. "Aries, are you busy?"

Aries shook her head.

"Do you want to hang out with us then?" Lucy offered. "You two have got to catch me up on the gossip in the Celestial Realm!" she begged jokingly. Aries smiled at the thought of spending time with her friends and nodded, shuffling over to sit beside her fellow spirit. Loke put his arms around both girls as the three began to happily converse.

After an hour or so, despite Lucy's disappointment, Aries and Loke decided to return to their own Realm to let their Key Owner's Magic Power levels replenish. But she knew they meant well, (and that Loke had opened his own gate so not _too_ much Magic had been used) _and_ that she couldn't keep them away from their home just for the sake of spending time with them. They most likely had things to do within their realm, and she had her job. After only killing two hours in total, the blonde-haired girl sighed as she remembered the complete duration of her journey. As the train pulled to a stop, she'd then have to board another one and three hours after that she'd arrive at a small port town alike to Hargeon.

After spending an hour or so there, she'd be able to catch the next available train that would finally get her to Starlight. She was already completely over travelling as she stepped off the first train, and as she stepped on the second one, she was lucky to catch a few hours of rest. Embarrassingly, a train attendant had to politely awaken her so she'd be able to depart the transportation device before it took off again for its next journey. So, after running her hands through her hair as a makeshift comb to look slightly more presentable, the blonde-haired girl jumped off of the train and skipped off to buy her next and thankfully last train ticket. After handing over the right amount of jewels, the ticket was soon in her hand, although Lucy couldn't find anything on the paper to help her find the duration of the trip.

_Please be under an hour_, Lucy pleaded in her thoughts, mentally crossing her fingers. _Please be under an hour!_

She turned to her right and saw an elderly man exiting a train himself. The Celestial Mage patiently waited until he had done so, before calling out to him. By the way she'd seen the townsfolk dress, his attire seemed similar and Lucy deemed him as one of the locals returning home. "Uh, excuse me!" Lucy called, waving her hand in the air to grasp the man's attention. Once he looked up, she jogged over to him, flashing a friendly smile. "Hi, I'm just wondering if you know how long the train will take to get to Starlight?" she asked politely.

"Ah," the man said, nodding as he tapped his chin thoughtfully as he searched his memory. "About twenty minutes, miss. You seem to have been travelling for quite some time today," he observed.

Lucy let out an uneasy laugh as she smoothed out the creases in her clothing, which had formed during her slumber. "I guess it's obvious, then." She sighed. "Yes, I've been travelling for the past six hours or so."

The man's eyes widened slightly in surprise. "You must be tired then, poor girl. Here," he pointed towards the exit to the station. "If you go out that way and follow the path that goes past the local merchant stalls, you'll find a restaurant called The Lagoon." He directed. "If you enjoy your seafood, you should head there to rest for a while and find yourself a nice lunch, dear." He gave her a kind smile. "Our specialty here is fish, after all. Enjoy your day."

"You too, sir." Lucy smiled. "Thank you for your help!" she waved goodbye to him, tucking her train ticket safely inside her pocket before heading out of the station. She followed the elderly man's instructions, and sure enough, she found herself standing outside the restaurant he had spoken of. Pushing open the door, the Celestial Mage walked towards a staff member who was showing people to empty tables.

"Oh, hello." The waitress smiled, giving a short, polite bow at her customer. "Table for one, miss?" she asked.

"Oh, yes please," Lucy said.

The waitress nodded, craning her neck to catch sight of a spare seat. "Right this way," the woman directed her over to a free table at the side of the restaurant, gesturing for her to take a seat. Lucy sat down, thanking the woman as she pressed a menu into her hands. She scanned the laminated paper, allowing a small smile to grace her features as she noticed the overwhelming amount of fish-based meals being offered. Her thoughts drifted to Happy, wondering what his reaction would be to such a place. She lifted her head to gaze at the empty seat in front of her.

Natsu, Happy and Lucy would regularly take job requests together; sometimes it'd be just the two mages if Happy had gone off to chase after Carla. Normally Natsu would've been sitting across from her, laughing and talking away. Lucy let out a sigh. Fairy Tail…she missed them all already. She had no idea how Natsu had done solo missions all those years by himself, but then again it was all he'd ever known before he met her. She turned her head to gaze out the window beside her, watching the townsfolk through the glass.

The port town, Serene, was just as the name suggested. Civilians wandered around the town's square peacefully, quietly. The expanse of ocean surrounding the area was mystifying. The waves sparkled under the sunlight, a flash of colour darting beneath the surface every so often as the flick of a fish's tail. The locals seemed happy with their lives, calm and restful. Lucy might've loved to live at a town like this, with such friendly townsfolk, but she knew she loved the rowdy, loud Fairy Tail that was her second home in Magnolia. Lucy smiled at the memory of the latest fight Grey and Natsu had that soon turned into a full-Guild scale brawl. She loved those two idiots dearly.

Maybe being alone for once made her realise how much she really loved her team.

.

..

…

**A/N: And that's the beginning to Falling Stars, everyone.**


	2. S-Class Missions & Dark Mage Capturings

**S-Class Missions and Dark Mages**

_Fairy where are you going?_

_I'm going to gather all the lights_

_And illuminate your tomorrow_

"Hah!"

The triumphant cry of an Ice Mage echoed throughout the clearing as his hands grasped a hold of a scaly scarf and he yanked it backwards.

Natsu let out a startled noise as he was flung forward by the muffler wrapped tightly around his neck, falling down in a cloud of dust before his teammates. "Dammit, that hurt, idiot," He muttered, pulling himself into a sitting position as he brushed the dirt off of his clothing. A shiver ran down his spine as he raised his head to look up at his comrades, meeting the currently enraged Weapon Mistress's gaze. She towered over him, her arms folded and her eyes dark as she glared downwards. He knew this wasn't one of his proudest moments. "H-Hey, E-Erza..." He dredged up a shaky smile to try and ease the tension, but his attempt failed miserably as her expression remained grim.

"I knew someone was following us, but I didn't expect it to be you, Flame Brain." Grey narrowed his eyes, although slightly amused at the thought of Erza tearing the Dragon Slayer apart, he was still annoyed.

There were a few moments of silence as both Mages looked at Natsu before it was broken by the redhead's sudden outburst. "What were you thinking, Natsu?" Erza demanded, gripping his scarf and pulling him upwards to meet her gaze. Natsu stumbled over his words before she tossed him backwards angrily. "This is an important mission, Natsu, don't you understand?!" her voice rose an octave at the last word of the sentence, but Natsu didn't seem to notice, folding his arms and pouting like a child in the aftermath of a tantrum instead.

"Yeah, of course I do!" Natsu grumbled. "Why did you invite Grey with you on an S-Class mission and not me?!" he jumped to his feet and shot a glare at the male mage, who returned it instantly.

They marched towards each other, chest to chest, yelling insults at one another until the Requip Mage broke them apart. "Enough, you two!" she ordered, turning to glare back at the Dragon Slayer. "I didn't invite you on this quest because it was presented to Grey and I by Master Makarov himself!" her words caused Natsu to gape at her in shock, but she continued on without noticing. "It's a classified job, so obviously we were only allowed to mention it was an S-Class mission if we were questioned! Nevertheless, you have a horrible habit of destroying everything you touch, so a mission involving stealth and secrecy would be too difficult to properly complete to the client's requirements if you were there!"

Natsu opened his mouth to protest, quickly shutting it when Erza stared him down. "Since you're here and Grey and I are already behind schedule, you'll have to come with us anyway," she sighed, ignoring Grey's expression of utter shock and dismay. "But this is the only time, understood?" she gave him a stern look that made him shiver once again.

"A-Aye," Natsu stuttered.

"You will never accompany me on a mission without my awareness or permission again. Understood?" she drew her sword and pressed the tip of the blade ever so lightly against his throat to prove her point. Natsu carefully eased his head back, nodding quickly as soon as the sword out of reach from his skin. "Good," Erza placed the weapon away and her serious expression vanished, replaced by a warm smile. "Right, then. Now that everything's sorted, I believe we have a mission to complete." She clapped her hands together. "Let's get moving again!"

"Aye…" Natsu repeated, sighing along with Happy as the exceed finally came out of hiding. They slumped their shoulders and bowed their heads, trudging along slowly with a depressed aura surrounding them. Grey muttered something about the two of them being idiots before he and Erza began moving on, the two intruders slowly trailing along behind.

LINE BREAK

_Yes, flat ground, wondrous, non-moving flat ground…_ Lucy felt just like Natsu would have whenever he had been allowed off of a transportation device –overjoyed. Her keys made a faint jingling noise as she walked, hips swaying slightly as she started to skip across the ground, small puffs of dust collecting in the air with her movements. The sun had started to dip on the horizon, the sky above her streaked with pink. The Celestial Mage was travelling up a dirt road through a forest, her only knowledge of how to get to Starlight being the sign she'd just passed, showing an arrow with the city's name in this direction. What was a little eerie was that she had been the only passenger on the train, which was slightly unnerving. On the bright side, the journey had only been a mere twenty minutes, just like the elderly man she'd encountered had told her earlier that same afternoon.

Her joyful skipping was abruptly halted as two cloaked figures darted through an opening in the trees in front of her, their faces hidden, but a Guild Mark visible on one's forearm. Lucy's eyes narrowed and she grasped her keys quickly. "Hey, you!" she shouted, pulling out her keys and twirling one around expertly. They spun around to stare at her in surprise, seeming to have not expected any new visitors to the area. "You're from the Razor Fang Guild, aren't you?" she darted forward as the figures took off running in the opposite direction. "Open, Gate of the Archer!" Lucy cried. "Sagittarius!" the Gate key flashed gold before he appeared before her. "Sagittarius, I need you to shoot them down, they're fast!" she said, pointing in the Dark Guild members' direction.

"Understood, Miss Lucy!" her Spirit said loyally, firing at rapid speed. The figures went down in an instant as the arrows hit the back of their lower legs. In was a little brutal, but the measure was needed. Cries of pain were heard as the two stumbled on top of each other in a heap.

"Thank you, Sagittarius!" Lucy grinned at him as he gave a salute.

"My pleasure, Miss Lucy." He cheered, disappearing just as she took off running. Clicking the Archer's key back with the others, Lucy skidded to a stop beside the Dark Mages, pulling out Loke's key as a precaution as she neared them. He seemed to sense her nervousness from the Spirit Realm, his key radiating with warmth as it glowed dimly.

"I've been sent here to help out the town of Starlight because of your Guild." Lucy said, folding her arms as she peered down at the members who were pulling the arrows from their legs. "How many are there of you?" she gave them a menacing look, but they didn't look intimidated. They both raised their hands at her; Magic circles appeared in front of them, indicating an attack she didn't have enough time to prepare herself for.

"Gravity Slam!" they shouted in unison.

Lucy let out a cry as she was forced to the ground, an overwhelming weight crushing her back and shoulders. She struggled to hold up Loke's key, squeezing her eyes shut as she struggled to breathe.

"Open…G-Gate of the Lion!" she wheezed. "Leo!"

Loke, her saviour in this moment, instantly appeared by her side, much to her relief. He only had to take one glance at the Mages harming her for his expression to darken. His hands began glowing as he initiated a battle stance. "You'll pay for touching my Master!" he bellowed, his gaze serious as he attacked with a start. "Regulus, give me strength!" he launched towards the Dark Guild members, letting out a battle cry. "Regulus Blast!" golden light surged from his hands and sent the Mages through the air, erasing the weights crushing the Celestial Mage. The girl regained her footing, standing beside her Spirit as she thanked him.

"Step back, Lucy," Loke warned as their enemies stumbled to their feet, readying to attack despite their injuries. Lucy felt a dull throb of pain unfurl inside her chest as she obeyed Loke's commands. She always had to call upon someone for help, all she had during a battle was a Celestial Spirit to come and fight it for her. The blonde watched as the Leader of the Zodiacs knocked the Mages unconscious with a triumphant smirk. "You alright, Lucy?" he asked, walking back over to her.

He placed a hand on her shoulder, which she simply brushed away, perking up with a smile. "Yeah! Thanks, Loke."

Loke studied her carefully; his gaze uncertain as if he could see through her façade. "You're welcome, Lucy." He brightened up with a smile of his own, yet his was genuine. "Call me again if you need, alright?" he patted her head as he returned to the Celestial Spirit Realm.

Lucy let out a soft sigh as he faded away in a shimmering gold. "Thanks Loke," she repeated quietly under her breath, moving towards the injured Dark wizards.

"What to do…" she mused, glancing over their unconscious states. "Hm…" turning around, she gazed towards the path leading towards civilisation. "Might as well take you there, I might get some answers," talking aloud helped the Celestial Mage process her thoughts, and she felt a sense of calm return at the action. Summoning Virgo, she asked for aid in carrying the Mages towards the town which resulted in Virgo carrying the both of them, not wanting to _"strain her princess"_.

"Thank you, Virgo." Lucy spoke with gratitude as they began approaching Starlight, where the mission would really begin.

.

..

…

**A/N: Thank you to Kaida-Nee Alberona and "An Adoring Fan", you two are lovely! **


	3. Unexpected Welcoming

**A/N: Thank you flutterbe-chan for your kindness!**

**Unexpected Welcoming**

It'd been about two hours since Natsu and Happy had joined their fellow Mages on their special job request, two minutes since they'd stepped off a train which had caused the pink-haired male's mood to turn sour. He had thrown up a few moments after stepping off of the train, having rushed to the nearest bathroom inside the station to avoid making a mess. Now they were leaving the station and heading through the town they'd just arrived in, searching for a place to eat. Natsu's appetite was completely gone by the time he and Happy had found a restaurant. The group shuffled inside and took their seats quietly as Erza reminded them of their schedule, so they couldn't stay for too long. Natsu slumped down in his chair, folding his arms upon the table's surface before he buried his face against them. "Stupid trains, stupid transport," he muttered under his breath. Just the thought of having the ride another train made him feel queasy. Grey had to hold himself back from making fun of his team mate with the threat of Erza becoming angry at him. That was a risk he certainly _didn't_ want to take. Keeping his mouth shut, the Ice Mage lifted up his menu and scanned the available meals to decide on his lunch for the day.

"Why isn't Lucy here along with you two?" Erza suddenly inquired, as the thought had been on her mind since Grey had found the duo. She dropped her gaze from the paper before her to look at the comrade occupying the seat across from her.

Natsu stopped complaining about the transport they'd just ridden and lifted his head to answer. "She didn't want to come," he responded in a disappointed tone. "She said something about you two being mad if you found us…" he mumbled, averting to gaze to stare out the window.

The scarlet-haired woman didn't seem surprised. "Well Lucy's always been the more intellectual out of the group." Erza nodded with a fond smile at the thought of the Celestial Mage. "She doesn't seem to do reckless things, like you, Natsu." A glare in his direction made Happy hide behind the Dragon Slayer in fear. Natsu opened his mouth to argue that he was _sure_ of Lucy doing at least a _few_ reckless things, such as their S-Class mission…

…which he got her to come along with…so really it was _his_ reckless decision…

"I reckon you shouldn't have left her behind." Grey mused, gazing at Natsu over his menu. "Without you two, who else does she have to break into her house every day?" he chuckled, unable to help the laughter bubbling up inside of him.

Natsu scoffed. "I don't break in, _Ice Princess_. You've "broken in" plenty of times before but at least I have clothes on." he muttered. Grey growled something hateful back at the Fire Mage and they jumped from their seats, shoving them backwards, snarling insults in each other's faces until the red-haired Mage shoved them back down. Her gaze fierce was enough to make both males shrink a little bit in their chairs.

"So she was completely fine with the fact the four of us would be gone for about a week?" Erza asked in a lighter tone, forgetting about the scene her partners were just about to cause.

Natsu shrank further back in his seat at her words. "I didn't think we'd be gone for _that_ long…" he whined, hating the bad feeling spreading throughout his chest as he remembered rushing out of the Guild, leaving his best friend completely alone. "I don't think she was that happy we'd be going, but I thought–"

"Aye, Lucy looked weird when we left!" Happy chimed in, completely ignoring the scene that had just happened, just like Erza. "Her face was all funny!" he scrunched up his own face in a poor imitation of the expression he remembered.

Grey rolled his eyes. "I think you mean she looked sad or something." The Ice Mage supplied.

Natsu once again shifted guiltily, an action which did not go unnoticed by the Requip Mage.

"Then it's settled." She decided, lifting up her menu, her gaze still fixed on the male across from her. "When we return, you are to apologize and then we'll take on a group job." It wasn't a suggestion, it was an order.

The Fire Mage let out an exaggerated sigh. "I was gonna take her on one when we got back." Natsu mumbled, barely looking up as they were asked for orders. As their food arrived, only a glass of water for the Dragon Slayer, they decided to discuss their course of action for their mission. Happy, however, was not paying attention in the slightest, having been completely focused on the stack of fish resting before him. His mouth watered and he stared with heart-filled eyes at the seafood before he began to devour it.

"Now that we're back on schedule," Erza began, taking a small taste of her own meal, a lighter meal consisting of pasta. "I believe we'll only have to journey through this town before we arrive in Terranpet." She looked to Grey, who nodded as he took out the letter Master Makarov had presented them with. The duo glanced at the paper for a moment before a soft sound emitting from Natsu grasped their attention. His fist with pressed to his lips as he was stifling laughter.

"What…what type…" he giggled. "…of name for a t-town is that?!" Natsu burst into laughter at the name before Erza's intense gaze rendered him silent, shuffling his seat a back a little to create more distance between the two of them.

"Terra means Earth and according to Master Makarov, the majority of the town's magic uses have power of rock, dirt and soil. Earth magic is their forte." Erza recited, her expression one of annoyance. "Don't act so immature in a serious matter, Natsu."

"And our client's description of their town's attackers fit the description of a Dark Guild within Terranpet." Grey added with a serious expression, causing the Dragon Slayer to lean across the table in a sudden interest at the mention of a Dark Guild. "A lot of Mages have been killed by this Guild, including a mass of young children." He spoke the last bit a bit quieter, frowning at the memory of the client's retelling of the death toll. The number of youngsters' lives cut short had been too high for anyone's comfort. Even Erza and Master Makarov had looked distressed at the news.

At his words, Natsu's eyes darkened with fury and he clenched his fists. "Kids?" he growled, absolutely outraged at the news of the Guild's actions. "They actually killed _kids?_" his bared his teeth in anger as Erza and Grey nodded grimly in confirmation. _A lot of Mages have been killed by this Guild, including a mass of young children._Grey's words echoed in his head and he felt sickened…even _disgusted_ that anyone could bring themselves to end a child's life when they were still so young.

"We're going to put an end to the suffering they have caused." Erza glared at the written description of their targets. "But these Mages will be dangerous. Be on your guard." She warned. Grey muttered something in agreement as Happy said an _"Aye Sir…"_ in a more saddened tone, trying to figure out how to react properly to the news of the murders they had to bring down. Natsu simply nodded, a newfound hatred bubbling inside of him.

"Are you alright, Princess?" Virgo's intense gazed shifted towards the Celestial Mage, who laughed awkwardly at the question.

"Yes, I'm fine, Virgo." She responded as if the answer was obvious, which in fact, it was. "But are you alright?" Lucy looked the Spirit up and down, a small seed of worry unfurling inside her heart.

Virgo nodded her head happily, despite the two men she had hauled over her shoulders heavily weighing down on her. "My Princess has given me punishment, I am glad." The Maiden's smile of delight sent a small shiver down the blonde-haired girl's spine. She was about to respond once more and tell her that she hadn't intended for this to be punishment, or for the Spirit to carry both Dark Guild Mages, but she kept her mouth shut.

As long as her beloved friend was happy, she would also be in high spirits.

They'd been journeying only for a few minutes since having run into the Razor Fang members, and with the aid of Sagittarius and Loke, they'd been taken out quite quickly. They forest wasn't as dense anymore; Lucy could tell they were nearing the exit to the cluster of trees as they begin to thin out in amount. It was if they were travelling towards the light at the end of a darkened tunnel as the more they travelled, the more sunlight was beginning to envelop their surroundings. By Starlight's given name, Lucy was imaging a beautiful village that was bathed in the glow of the moon and the night sky's constellations during the evening. She smiled at the thought of it, stopping as she noticed Virgo had ceased her quick strides towards the town. They somehow had found themselves staring at the foot of a large mountain. Lucy's eyes travelled up the massive work of nature, her jaw dropping as she couldn't even see the summit, which was submerged in clouds.

"I believe we have arrived, Princess." Virgo said in monotone, lifting her head to also stare up at the mountain before them. She let a rare smile appear on her lips, simply impressed and even excited to begin walking. Lucy vaguely heard her murmur something about _punishment_, letting herself drink in the massive heights they'd have to climb up before they'd begin. The mountain ascended high into the air, a large staircase stretching up for miles that wrapped around the mountain and reached up into the clouds above. The stairs themselves were carved from the rocky terrain itself expertly, beautifully. The Celestial Wizard allowed herself a few moments to admire the craftsman's work before she realised one of the problems she was faced with.

"How…" she mused, never taking her gaze off of the clouds above. "How…how are we expected to climb all of that?!" Her outburst seemed to be directed at the sky as she narrowed her eyes at the Heavens.

Virgo blinked, unfazed as she turned to the blonde-haired Mage. "We use the stairs, Princess." She replied simply.

Lucy let out an exaggerated sigh and slowly nodded. "Yes Virgo, thank you for making me aware." She muttered sarcastically.

Virgo brightened up at the praise, giving a low bow, ignoring the heavy weight on her shoulders. "You're welcome, Princess." She said, straightening up again. "Shall we begin journeying?" she stood patiently, waiting for her Master to begin moving.

Lucy nodded. "Yes Virgo, we shall." She said, grudgingly marching towards the beginning of the staircase.

They'd only walked up a few steps before Lucy suddenly halted her actions, staring down at her boots in surprise as they began to shimmer. "Princess?" Virgo prompted, cocking her head to the side in confusion at the sudden stop. Lucy's eyes widened in surprise as the outline of her shoes began to glow, the light travelling up her body, illuminating her entire frame.

"W-What….what's happening?" she held up her hands, watching as they slowly became encased in light. In her peripheral vision, she witnessed Virgo suddenly disappear, along with the men she carried upon her shoulders. The Celestial Mage barely had time to let out a cry of the Maiden's name in absolute shock before the shining light blinded her as it consumed her whole.

A soft thud was heard as a dull pain grazed the left side of her body, some hard, solid surface slamming against her. "Ow, ow," Lucy moaned, scrunching up her face as she slowly opened her eyes. Her surroundings were spinning around her, spots of colour flickering in her vision as she felt a wave of dizziness wash over her. Her cheek hit against something again, but this time she knew what it was. Ground. Lucy had fallen against the ground after the strange, unknown light had consumed her. She was unable to focus on anything, so when a warm hand grasped her shoulder, she couldn't turn to see who it was. Her eyes were squeezed shut as she winced in pain and as uneasiness spread throughout her stomach. _Maybe this is how Natsu feels on trains…_ she wondered absentmindedly. Another set of hands grasped for her, and she was being pulled to her feet, though she was unware by whom.

Her arms were slung over a set of shoulders either side of her, two people standing next to her, supporting her. Lucy didn't trust herself to open her eyes, she believed the aching sickness fogging up her mind and twisting inside her stomach would intensify if she did. Her legs were almost completely unresponsive, feeling heavy and immobile as she stumbled forward. The blonde-haired girl knew if she wasn't be supported by the strangers holding her up, she would've fallen straight back onto the ground, most likely face first. Various fragments of conversation melded in through the haze cast around her. Lucy let out a pained moan as she felt the world slip away from underneath her feet and she was consumed by an entity once again.

This time, it was utter blackness reeling her in, pulling her away into her own darkened slumber.

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**A/N: Thank you to all of the follows and reviews so far! **


	4. The Undeniable

**A/N: So it's the second last week of Term One of school…yay. I had a Japanese exam and submitted two assignments and holidays are coming up soon so I'm excited for that. That also means more updates, so yay! So…response to reviews time! The plot thickens indeed, Bentears,****_indeed_****. Thank you for waiting patiently, by the way! Oh, and to Stardot, I'm trying to update every couple of days since more people are starting to read! Maybe I could update every Friday afternoon after school is over? (It's Friday today, after all!) Or maybe something more regular? Any ideas? Xx Thanks for the support! Also to LiGHTNiNGFAiRY59, I feel honoured that you would want to translate this into French for French fans to read and I'm only on Chapter four! *Smiles and cheers happily* Thank you for all reviewing, favourites and following! *40 Followers and 21 Favourites Dance Party***

**Disclaimer: All rights of Fairy Tail (****フェアリーテイル****) are reserved to Hiro Mashima sensei, besides the storyline of****_Falling Stars_**__**and any OC's I****_may_****include in the future. The song lyrics and all rights that come with them belong to****_Panic! at the Disco_**__**and I'm obviously not going to make any profit from this so I guess I'm done! Enjoy Chapter 4! Xx**

**The Undeniable**

_This is gospel for the fallen ones_

_Locked away in permanent slumber_

_Assembling their philosophies_

_From pieces of broken memories_

A wet cloth was gently pressed to Lucy's forehead, steady hands smoothing back her hair from her eyes as a pleasant aroma invaded her senses. She allowed a soft sigh escape her lips as the aching pain in her head returned. She slowly cracked an eye open, finding herself staring at three women crowded around her. No, it was one woman, but her mind was still hazy and her vision was tripling everything she could see. Blinking her eyes open and shut to increase her focusing speed, Lucy looked at the woman, who she deemed to be a nurse, or at least some kind of medical professional, judging by the white clothing alike to a doctor's uniform in Magnolia. The woman smiled in surprise and even delight as she saw the Celestial Mage had awoken. "Oh, you're awake, dearie." She spoke in a sweet, cheery tone as she approached the girl, fluffing up the pillows underneath her head. "That's lovely, it's wonderful to see you recovering so quickly, but you need your rest." She draped the covers over Lucy, carefully tucking her in with a motherly gentleness that the younger girl hadn't experienced in years.

"W-Where a…am I?" Lucy's words were slow, choppy, as if she was speaking her second language. Her tongue felt heavy in her own mouth, her voice sounding hoarse and strained as she struggled to speak.

"Oh, you're in Starlight, sweetie." The woman said brightly. "It's time for you to get some more rest, alright?"

"B…But I brought…I…where...where is…where's Vir…Virgo…?" The Celestial Mage felt weakened suddenly, the familiar darkness returning, clouding her vision.

"She's fine, dearie, she's fine…" the woman soothed, patting her head as if she were a small child. "Don't worry, Lucy, just get some rest." She smiled gleefully, confusing the blonde-haired Mage. She wanted to ask how she got here, how the woman knew her name, but she couldn't. She was already fading back into slumber, into the darkened abyss of dreamland. Soon, her eyes had drooped shut and the woman left the room, turning out the lights that hung above her patient's bed before she exited the room, shutting the door behind her.

**~LINE BREAK~ for the fact that an actual line to break paragraphs no longer works for some strange reason for me.**

The next time the girl woke up, the nurse wasn't there.

A startled shriek escaped Lucy's lips as she awoke once more to the sight of her beloved Spirit kneeling over her, her intense gaze focused solely on her Master's face as their noses were inches apart. Lucy had instinctively tried to move herself backwards in her state of shock, but found her movements still slow and sluggish. Oh, and she'd slammed into the bedhead in an attempt to create distance between her and Virgo, which had resulted in a sharp pain ricocheting throughout the back of her head and shoulder blades. "Virgo!" she exclaimed in surprise. "What are you doing?!" Lucy rubbed her head slowly, an expression of confusion crossing her features as the Maiden sat up and then bowed.

"I am honoured, Princess," the Spirit said in a grateful tone. "…that one of your first thoughts after awakening would be my health." She straightened up again, seemingly pleased, even overjoyed.

Lucy blinked in surprise. "Of course I would be worried about your health. You just…vanished!" the blonde was happy her speech was back to normal, but frowned suddenly. "Did…did we get teleported here?"

"It seems so, Princess." Virgo responded, completely unfazed by the entire ordeal itself. "I am here to see if you are well." She checked the Mage over carefully. "You seem to be recovering well, Princess. Would you like me to return to the Spirit World in order for your Magic Power levels to be replenished?" she stepped off of the bed, smoothing out the creases in the blankets she had created.

Lucy gave a faint, fond smile at the Maiden. "If you'd like to, Virgo. Thank you for helping me." Her smile grew into one of slight amusement as Virgo bowed once more, addressing her one last time as if she were royalty before she disappeared in a shimmer of gold. Virgo's key shined brightly from inside the pouch Lucy always had strapped to her belt as she vanished. Lucy looked around the room she was currently residing in. It was small, but comfortable. Well, the double bed she was staying in was absolutely comfortable. Dark threadbare curtains were closed and concealing the world outside, a chest of drawers sat adjacent to them. The floor was made of dark, seamless timber, the walls covered in pale yellow wallpaper. A fan spun in lazy circles above her, but she could barely make it out in the darkened room. She caught a glimpse of a picture frame hanging on the wall across from her bed, a bookshelf and a desk to the side of the room. It was basic, but it was homey. But why was she here? What was that light? The Celestial Mage snuggled under the warmth of her blankets, deciding she'd need to be fully rested before she began her mission, or before she began questioning the people who brought her here. Her thoughts drifted to her teammates. Natsu…Happy…Grey…Erza…were they well? How was there mission going?

**LINE BREAK**

A solid smack to the back of Natsu's head ceased his laughter from catching sight of the word _Terranpet_painted in large scripting upon the sign they had just passed. He rubbed the now tender area, mumbling a sheepish _"Sorry, Erza."_ The girl in question simply frowned at him, lifting her head to resume her more professional posture as they entered the town. An eerie silence was what they were greeted with. They'd arrived in the late of the afternoon, just as the last of the sun's rays danced across the town before disappearing from the sky. Shadows were cast up the side of buildings and bathed small cottages in darkness. Not a soul was visible in the street, all of the windows and doors had been boarded up. Clouds of dust became airborne as the group trudged through the abandoned streets. Erza drew her sword as a precaution, as Grey's hands filled with ice vapour, both observing the area with caution. Natsu sniffed the air, trying to catch onto the scent of anyone near. Happy rested atop his head, looking around nervously.

If Lucy had been here, the exceed would've gone straight into her arms and cuddled close to her like he did during missions to ease his nerves.

"Anything, Natsu?" Erza asked, her voice seeming loud in the noiseless city.

Natsu shook his head. "All of the scents I'm picking up…they're…not old but they're not really fresh." He sniffed the air once again to confirm his suspicions before speaking again. "I'm guessing the last time _anyone_was here was at _least_ three days ago. I can't pick up any more recent scents." He said, lifting up his hand to ignite it with his fire. The orange and red flames illuminated the Mages' faces with colour as they continued to travel deeper into the town.

"Why would they just abandon this place?" Grey wondered aloud, stepping over a pile of crates resting beside a few market stalls.

Erza frowned, surveying the surroundings slowly, running her hand along one of the boarded doors. "That's what we need to find out." She decided, dropping her hand as she turned to Grey. "It's odd; you'd at least find signs of the abrupt departure-"

"Wait!" Natsu suddenly blurted out, holding out his arm in a gesture to halt his comrades. He experimentally sniffed the air a few more times before his eyes widened. "Blood…" He murmured. "Follow me!" He took off running with a start, jolting Happy as he let go of Natsu's hair and flew into the air, in quick pursuit. Used to his antics, Erza and Grey simply followed after him without question. Their hurried footsteps were the only noised in the town which had been rendered silent. The further they ran, the stronger the metallic scent of blood became. Natsu bared his teeth as he picked up another scent. One of the scents he dreaded the most. The stench of _death._He slowed his panicked strides, turning to his Nakamara as they skidded to a stop behind him. "This isn't going to be pretty." He warned, fixing his muffler to cover his mouth and nose from the horrid stench. "There's…there's a lot of blood and I can…I can smell the scent of death." The Dragon Slayer informed, watching as Erza and Grey's facial expressions became grim. "Happy, you probably won't want to see this." Natsu sighed, not wanting him to witness anything that could scar the six-year-old. The exceed nodded fearfully, taking a place on Natsu's shoulder before he hid his face with a trailing end of Igneel's scarf.

They journeyed for a few more minutes before Erza and Grey's senses also picked up the undeniable smell. Lifting an armoured hand to cover her nose, Erza narrowed her eyes as they came to a stop once more. Happy didn't dare look up as he heard the shocked gasps of horror emit from his friends' mouths. None of them dared to speak as they stared at the gruesome sight before them. Grey took a step back, covering his own nose as well, his expression pained. Natsu turned away, averting his gaze and pressing his muffler tighter against his face. Erza simply assessed the damage the two males beside her refused to look at. The sight even caused her to shiver a little, but her nerves of steel were kicking back in again. As a member of Fairy Tail and an S-Class Mage, she had to do her duty to her Guild, so she raised her head and assessed.

In front of the group rested the mass of Terranpet dwellers, bloodied, bruised, broken and beheaded before them. Erza swallowed hard as she noticed the amount of dead Mages before her, all of the bodies stacked upon one another in a pyramid of the deceased. Men, women and children of all ages had been murdered. Blood had been splattered across the area messily, various weapons having been tossed far from the deceased's reaches. The surrounding remains of what looked like a lining of walls had not been spared from the droplets of red. Scorch marks were visible on many of the dead's clothing, their facial features contorted in agony and fear. According to Erza's memory, Master Makarov had told her of the population of this town, and the Requip Mage knew what she was staring at.

She was staring at an entire town's worth of slaughtering.

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..

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**A/N: The song lyrics above are more fitting for the last part of the chapter I guess, but as you can see, the plot continues to thicken. Natsu, Grey and Erza's mission is labelled S-Class for a reason –these Mages are dangerous. On a lighter note, Lucy hasn't been kidnapped or anything dire like that, but the reason for her abrupt "transportation" will be explained next time.**

**If you have any questions, feel free to PM me!**


	5. The Town of Starlight

**A/N: I'm enjoying writing both Lucy and the other's missions, as like an episode in a television show, you always need a subplot. Except this chapter is purely Starlight-mission based. The S-Class mission returns next chapter. Oh, and I'm going to start writing in a schedule now. Like definite updates every Friday either in the morning or in the afternoon. Today is a Tuesday, as we're all aware, and in fact it is also April Fool's Day. Hooray! One of my favourite authors on this website updated their NaLu fanfic just for today and it was hilarious. But this is a real chapter and it's been sitting in my folder for three days and I can't wait until Friday to post it so I'm posting it today. Still going to have update on Friday though.**

**As to Bentears' review, yep, what a thing to stumble across! It just came to me randomly, I have no idea how I came up with such an idea but there you go! To Pollzy Claire, you have no idea how happy I am that you're enjoying it so far, well I guess you have some idea but your review made me smile! Hope you enjoy this chapter! To kelpiejh, thank you so much for the favourite and I'm guessing everyone knows who slaughtered the town and I can't blame the reaction! :D Your review made me smile like an idiot, thank you! To have 53 follows and 28 favourites only on Chapter Four makes me really happy. Thank you everyone!**

**The Town of Starlight**

A gentle knock on the door sent Lucy's train of thought straight off of its course and she raised her head, forgetting about whatever had caused the inner debate inside her mind. "Good evening, Lucy." The nurse from before who had greeted her when she first awoke came into the room, a smile gracing her features. The Celestial Mage made a mental note to discover how this woman knew her name.

"Evening…" Lucy hesitantly responded, her eyes travelling to the window that allowed the cool night's air to float into her room. She'd slept through the entire day, but she finally felt back to normal once more.

"I've brought you the clothing you're required to wear this evening, I'm sure you'll look lovely in it." The nurse smiled, resting a neatly folded kimono on the bed beside the blonde-haired girl. Lucy nodded slowly, catching the woman's gaze. Honestly, the woman reminded her of her mother, the dark brown eyes and soft blonde hair, graceful features…it was all there. And also the way this woman knew her name…it baffled her. Obviously, she knew there was no way she could be related to her, but she felt a sudden longing for her mother she hadn't felt in years just by looking at this woman.

"I'll allow you privacy to get changed, dear." The woman smiled, turning to leave.

"Wait." Lucy said quietly. "Can…can you tell me your name?" She cringed slightly at her awkward manner of speaking, but the woman's eyes simply shone with amusement.

"Laura." She responded, lifting the empty bowl that once held Lucy's lunch off of the table. She had to admit that the food here was amazing. "I'll see you later, Lucy." Laura said, making her leave.

As the door shut quietly, Lucy gently ran a hand through her hair and inspected the kimono with a curious look. Apparently, Laura said she was _required_to wear it, speaking of it in a tone that meant it wasn't a mere suggestion. "Maybe it's a custom here, for everyone to wear this." She wondered aloud, tapping her chin as she thought about it. "I can't disrespect their culture, after all. That would be rude." As she spoke, she stepped closer to the kimono, reaching out towards it. Her fingertips lazily traced the gorgeous swirls of colour upon the fabric, a gentle smile gracing her features at the soft texture. Delicately unfolding the clothing, Lucy spared a glance towards the belt resting on the bedside table which held her keys. She surely couldn't wear it over this traditional article of clothing, it wouldn't look correct. Sighing loudly, she wandered over to the bedside table and unclipped the pouch, weighing in thoughtfully in her hands. She barely went _anywhere_without her Gate Keys, sometimes she even slept with them beside her pillow to assure herself of her own safety. It would feel too strange without them.

Reluctantly deciding against wearing them, but merely carrying the pouch in her hand, Lucy undressed from the nightgown she'd been presented with and began to unfold the kimono.

**LINE BREAK**

A few moments after changing, Lucy was brought out of her room by a formally dressed man and escorted out of the Medical Ward she'd been staying in to have her hair "tended to" by a group of stylists. After her hair was elegantly styled into a braid, she was greeted by the same male who nodded at her appearance with a look of acceptance. "You have been requested a meeting with the Queen of Constellar." The male said, bowing slightly. Lucy widened her eyes slightly in mild surprise before she remembered the lengthy journey it'd taken her to arrive here, the various signs she'd passed. She was no longer in the Kingdom of Fiore, but now in the Kingdom of Constellar. All of the preparation she'd gone through had made sense –she had to look her absolute best before standing before royalty. Oh, and she had to remind herself not to freak out from the fact she'd been staying in a castle this entire time. "I have been given the task of escorting you, Miss Heartfilia. Please, come with me." He beckoned for her to follow him, which she did. He led her down a long, seemingly never-ending hallway, passing portrait after portrait of wealthy-looking royals from generation after generation, all wearing their best jewels. Various staff members passed them; busily attending to orders given to them by their superiors, but all of them seemed cheerful, happy to do the work. Lucy smiled at them as they neared a large set of doors, which her escort pushed open, gesturing for the blonde to enter the room.

Thanking him quietly, Lucy entered the room, shielding her eyes at the sudden harsh lights shining brightly above her from glimmering chandeliers which illuminated the room. After a few moments, her eyes adjusted and she let her arms rest by her sides, as soft gasp leaving her lips as she caught sight of the Queen facing her back to the Celestial Mage as she stared up at a portrait hanging above what Lucy guessed as both her and the King's thrones. Her light chestnut-coloured hair cascaded down her back in an elegantly styled braid tied with a golden ribbon. The expensive, gorgeous jewels adorning her crown and necklace sparkled underneath the glow the chandeliers provided as she turned around. Lucy was taken aback by the sheer beauty of the woman before her, mesmerised by the grace she moved with, by the way her features showed youth, but wisdom also. Her complexion was a gentle creamy white, blemish free, completely flawless. The Queen's eyes were a darkened green and they shone with a happiness mirroring her favourite shade of emerald that was Natsu Dragneel's eyes. By staring into her eyes, Lucy could see Natsu staring back at her. It'd only been three days and she missed him dearly, she—

"Greetings, Lucy Heartfilia." The Queen's voice brought her back into reality with a jolt, Lucy's cheeks instantly starting to redden as she realised she was daydreaming about her hot-headed partner. "I am Queen Angelica of Constellar." Queen Angelica introduced herself with a formal, yet motherly tone as she addressed the wizard before her.

Lucy bowed lowly. "Thank you, Your Highness. I am Lucy Heartfilia, Celestial Mage of the Fairy Tail Guild in Fiore." She straightened up again, smiling. "I am pleased and honoured to make your acquaintance, Queen Angelica." Lucy bowed once more to express her gratitude.

The Queen returned her smile, nodding. "Good evening, then, Miss Heartfilia." She said. "I see you aren't wearing your Gate Keys." She observed, looking the girl and up down with an approving look at her knowledge at wearing the outfit correctly.

"Ah, yes, my lady." Lucy said politely, lifting her hand and opening it to show her ring of Keys. "I believed they wouldn't look…_suitable_ with such a traditional article of clothing. Wearing a belt over this kimono would certainly be a strange sight." She hadn't spoken in such a formal tone for quite some time, but it almost felt correct, almost intellectual. This was the type of speech she used when meeting scholars and wizards and regular non-magic personnel of high status when the Heartfilia family visited wealthy business associates or whenever banquets were held at the estate.

Queen Angelica nodded once again, seemingly pleased at the girl's graceful manner and of her respect for their Kingdom's cultural ways. Clasping one hand over the other, the Queen gave the younger woman an apologetic look. "I humbly apologize for welcoming you ever so rudely, Lucy." She said in a soft tone. "As none of Constellar's population have any magic abilities, we rely on our Military personnel to keep us protected from any threats. However, Dark Mages have infiltrated our defences and have sent many of our men to their deathbeds or into immediate medical treatment. We have wards up to defend out Kingdom, and illusions, as I believe you saw when you first arrived."

Lucy nodded slowly to show that she understood the seriousness of the situation as the woman continued. "Our ancestors, the founders of our Kingdom, they were all once powerful wizards." The Queen raised her head and the blonde followed her gaze up to a portrait of what Lucy guessed to be the two main founders standing side by side, bearing crowns and jewels of royalty. It was a man and woman, both clothed in elegant robes, smiling faintly. "Dark Guilds, just as Razor Fang, have had a long history with us since the beginning. Because of them, a war broke out back in the beginning, and many of the Magic users were slaughtered. As I said before, we have special wards up, but the Magic in the earth beneath us recognised your Celestial Magic and immediately transported you into the safety of our castle. Unfortunately, even with Celestial powers running through your veins, you were not immune to the ward's effects and since you went right through them, your body suffered." Queen Angelica moved her to gaze at another portrait, showing a large range of beautiful colours and shades gazing back at them. Lucy's eyes widened as she realised what the beautiful piece of artwork was.

It was a dragon, shimmering with mystical golden scales, amber wings and a pair of darkened, yet glowing chestnut brown eyes. Lucy was breathless at the sheer beauty captured in an artwork before her. "Wow…" she whispered in awe.

The Queen smiled sadly at her amazement. "Yes, our entire Kingdom was protected by one of the Celestial Dragons, Constellar." She continued. "To express our gratitude, the survivors named the Kingdom in his stead. From the great losses we suffered without him, before he arrived, we had a shortage of wizards and as time passed, the traits being passed on were very minimal. Now, here we are, an entire Kingdom without magic." Queen Angelica shook her head sadly. "Constellar abruptly vanished along with all of the other Dragons in the world, and he haven't seen him since."

"I…I never knew that Celestial Dragons actually existed…" Lucy murmured thoughtfully. "I've only heard rumours." She said, turning to look at Queen Angelica, who only smiled.

"Yes, they do indeed. Our ancestors were all Celestial Mages, but now even said Mages are slowly dying out, are they not?" she asked.

Lucy slowly nodded at her words. There wasn't as many Celestial Mages in the world as any other type of Magic, especially with only 10% of the entire world's population being able to use Magic. The Mage opened her mouth to respond, but a flash of light beside her cut her off and she jumped slightly at the sudden appearance of a Celestial Spirit. "Virgo!" Her Key Owner exclaimed in surprise.

The Maiden bowed lowly, expressing her respect of her Master before she straightened up again. "Forgive me for the abrupt arrival, Princess." Virgo said. "But I forgot to tell you about the Razor Fang members you had captured." She bowed once more, asking for punishment and Lucy was forever grateful for the fact that the Queen didn't hear such a strange request.

"Ah, yes." Queen Angelica spoke next, looking to Lucy. "I forgot to express my thanks for bringing them into custody, Miss Heartfilia." She smiled at the girl.

"T-That's alright, Your Highness." Lucy stuttered, turning to Virgo, who was still bowing, presenting her repot.

"After I punished the Dark Mages, they presented me with a vague description of their leader's whereabouts, describing their base as being off to the West." Virgo raised her head, tilting it to the side as her steel gaze focused on the Celestial Mage's face. "Is it time for _my_ punishment now, Princess?" she asked. Sadly the elder woman heard this time, but Queen Angelica simply laughed.

Lucy's eye twitched at the question before she simply shook her head, exhaling in slight exaggeration. "No, Virgo." The wizard sighed, placing her hands on her hips. "But I'd appreciate it if you'd help me find Razor Fang's base. You can punish all the Mages we find in any way you see fit." She felt slightly uneasy as the Maiden's eyes gleamed with a darkened delight at the idea.

Shivering slightly, Lucy pulled out another key, turning it in the air to unlock the Gate to allow them into Earthland. "Open! Gate of the Lion! Leo!" she commanded, watching as a golden ring of magic spun beneath her feet before her loyal lion appeared before her.

"Lucy, how may I be of service?" Loke gave an amusing bow before he reached for the blonde girl's hand and kissed it.

Lucy blushed slightly as he released her hand before she cleared her throat, tilting her head to subtly alert the Lion of a royal person's presence. Then she stepped on his foot before he made any attempt to flirt with her. "Virgo and I are going to infiltrate Razor Fang's base and put an end to the suffering they are causing this Kingdom." Lucy said, nodding at Virgo. "Loke," she looked towards the Lion. "As a large amount of Military personnel are out of commission and no one in Constellar uses Magic, I need you to stay here while Virgo and I are gone in case of attack." She said.

"Understood, Lucy." Loke responded. He kissed her hand once more, telling her to stay safe before he disappeared in a rain of light.

Smiling, Lucy turned to Virgo, clenching her fist. "You ready, Virgo?" the Celestial Mage asked.

Virgo nodded, cracking a rare smile. "Yes, Princess." She said.

Lucy grinned at her and waved goodbye to the Queen. "We'll take our leave now, Your Highness." She bowed.

The Queen smiled. "I'll see you some time in the near future, then, Fairy Tail Mage." She responded. Lucy nodded, beckoning Virgo to follow her as they were escorted from the room.

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…

**A/N: Falling Stars is set Post-Edolas because I love all of the storylines after it the most. So it's still Pre-Timeskip and everything, just to make sure everyone's aware. Oh, and random question, what jobs do you dislike characters stereotypically having in fan fictions? E.g. Starbucks, other coffee stores, etc.**


	6. Fall of Terranpet and Rise of Stars

**A/N: Hey, everyone! Been a while, hey? Sorry for slow update, but I've got a two week break now! Thank you to the 67 followers and 32 favourites! Thankyou to** **Bentears for the continued support! And also thank you to kelpiejh, and I agree with you completely! **

**Disclaimer: Lyrics belong to Red and I still sadly do not own Fairy Tail, but if I did, NaLu, Jerza, GaLe and Gruvia would probably all be together. Oh, and Aries and Loke. And maybe Sting and Yukino. Maybe Romeo and Wendy. Maybe Happy and Carla when they're a lil' older. Maybe. But I love Mashima's development of NaLu so far. Did anyone read the new chapter where NaLu babysat Asuka? She's a shipper, I swear.**

**Fall of Terranpet and Rise of Stars**

_I can't pretend everything's alright_

_Please don't let me fall forever_

_Can you tell me it's over?_

After finding the slaughtered citizens of Terranpet, the group felt far from at ease. After alerting Cana, the only other Mage knowing about the quest, via Calling Card of the gruesome sight they had come across, a few members of the Council and Master Makarov himself had come to confirm the worst. Hours had passed as they awaited the arrival of the "professionals", but as night had truly fallen, with torches and weapons, 4/5 members of Team Natsu were formally yet reluctantly greeted before they were forgotten about entirely. Folding his arms and throwing the Council Members a dirty look as soon as their backs were turned, Natsu scowled. For the sake of his sensitive sense of smell, he'd moved away from the graveyard and back to the entrance to the town as the bodies were identified and survivors were searched for. He and the exceed were the only ones in their small team that seemed unable to rest after what they'd witnessed, yet in barely no time at all Erza and then Grey were dozing off in the shelter they'd created in the agonising hours they had to endure waiting for "help" to arrive. Master Makarov had gifted them with a nod of acknowledgment only before he had trudged after the Government Officials, his expression mirroring his children's. Grim. It was the mask that had plastered itself onto everyone's faces the moment they had stepped onto the scene.

Hunched over on his makeshift seat, in fact a turned over crate, Natsu had his eyes closed, looking as if he were in deep thought. His head felt hazy from the horrendous stench of the deceased that even Igneel's scarf couldn't help him cope with. Happy rested beside him, looking worriedly up at his friend as the Dragon Slayer drank in the night's fresh air, hoping it'd clear his mind somehow. The damage was being assessed and if the Council was involved, this was no small thing. This Dark Guild was much worse than they had previously thought, and even the thick-skulled Salamander realised that. He was no longer depressed at the thought of Lucy's absence, he had never been happy on any mission without her accompanying them, but this was an exception. He wouldn't have wanted her to see what they had seen, he knew how she would have reacted and he knew he would've dragged her far away from the scene but the damage would have already been done. The last thing the pink-haired eighteen-year-old wanted was for her to have been traumatised from this expedition _he_ would've dragged her on if she had chosen to come. If she wasn't here, she'd be happy and carefree. She wouldn't be the same cheerful Lucy Heartfilia here, especially not while she was awaiting questioning after the death toll had been measured alongside her comrades.

The gloomy atmosphere was really eating away at the currently awake duo, and Happy nuzzled against the Fire Mage for comfort. Absentmindedly patting the feline's head, Natsu's eyes slowly slid open as he picked up another scent that made him forget about the one lingering about them. After a few experimental sniffs, he gained the exceed's attention and Happy looked up with him quizzically. He quietly mewed his friend's name but gained no response for a few moments of silence. Then he gained a short glance before the Mage spoke. "I can smell something…different to before…something else…" Natsu tilted his head up, sniffing the air as his eyes narrowed. "…_someone_else…Happy, come on…" he slowly rose to his feet, beckoning for the cat to follow. Happy sighed and gripped the back of Natsu's vest, sprouting his wings. He wordlessly lifted them both into the air as the Dragon Slayer began to direct where he wanted them to go. After he Natsu pointed into the distance, Happy nodded and zoomed forwards, following the directions and the scent his friend could supposedly smell.

"What type of scent is it, Natsu?" he inquired, picking up the pace at request.

Natsu frowned, wondering on how to describe it. "It's…it's the scent of a person, that's mostly all I can tell from here…" He murmured. "I think we're almost there, Happy, can you drop down a bit further?"

Happy nodded and complied with a cry of _"Aye, Sir!"_.

**LINE BREAK**

Lifting her head, Lucy peered cautiously through the heavily dense branches of the tree she and her Spirit currently sat in. They'd been searching for hours for this Dark Guild's hideout, having gotten nowhere in terms of finding a single clue. After summoning her Silver Gate Key Spirit Pyxis more than just a few times to assure the two of them that they hadn't gotten lost or gone off track, they continued travelling west, as Virgo said to. As night had fallen their mission had become a more difficult task as their surroundings looked more and more similar the further they travelled. Lucy had feared they had been walking in circles, so she'd taken the ribbons from her hair to tie around a tree that she believed they'd passed on several occasions. Luckily, this wasn't the case, and in fact they never encountered the ribbon again. After she and Virgo had bid farewell to the Queen, the Celestial Spirit had offered her clothing from the Spirit Realm, which was gratefully accepted. It was more suited for a mission than the elegant kimono Lucy had been given, so she delicately folded it up and it was taken away by one of the royal family's staff members, along with her bag with all of her belongings. She hoped she'd be given back her things safe and sound once she had returned.

"See any sight of them, Virgo?" Lucy turned to look at her Celestial Spirit, who was using a pair of binoculars the Spirit had brought from the Spirit Realm.

The Maiden hummed softly. "Negatory, Princess. Shall I be punished now?" she passed the binoculars over when Lucy shook her head, sighing.

"This is hopeless, what should we do?" she scanned the area, but was only greeted with the same sight they'd been seeing all evening. Dense forest. Lucy's Magic Power levels were decreasing at a rapid pace now and she felt weak. Having two Spirits out for this amount of time wasn't good and she knew that, but they had to find the base before the Kingdom was attacked again. She'd been alerted of the amount of civilians that had been murdered in Constellar in the past and she knew she had to put a stop to it.

Virgo placed a comforting hand on her trembling shoulder. "Princess, you are exhausted, let us postpone our quest until tomorrow morning." She proposed.

Lucy let out a weary sigh, closing her eyes as she pressed a hand to her forehead. "Tomorrow morning…" she echoed, reluctantly agreeing. "Alright. I guess it'll be easier to find them in the daylight." She allowed the Spirit to lift her into her arms before safely dropping down to the forest floor.

**LINE BREAK**

As Virgo carried her master back towards Starlight, Lucy's eyes slowly closed and her head fell against the Maiden's chest in fatigue. She could only just hear her Spirit's gentle scolding at summoning two Spirits for a long amount of time, yet she was proud the Mage's abilities were improving. Once she had finished her lecture, Virgo abruptly stopped, jolting Lucy slightly where she lay in the Maiden's arms. "What is it?" she questioned. "Virgo…" she trailed off when she picked up on the smell she'd found familiar from spending so much time with Natsu. Smoke. With a silent exchange of glances, the loyal Spirit headed off, following the scent. As it grew stronger, Lucy covered her nose and mouth with her hand, squinting as they suddenly became engulfed in a cluster of grey clouds. Virgo seemed to be unaffected by the smoke as they travelled through it, but it was making Lucy cough and her eyes began watering. Picking up the pace, the Celestial Spirit's eyes narrowed as she felt dark presences surrounding them.

"Princess…" she said in a warning tone, alerting Lucy in a subtle yet worrying manner. The girl squeezed her eyes shut, covering her mouth and nose with both hands now, trying to make it easier to breathe.

"Princess!" Virgo's uncharacteristic scream was frightening as the smoke began to clear. The Celestial Mage let out a cry as her Spirit flung her through the air and she slammed into one of the trees surrounding them. Coughing as she hit the ground, Lucy lifted her head to see a cluster of Razor Fang Guild members ambushing them. She barely pulled herself into a sitting position when she saw masses of dark energy attack the Maiden and blind her as an explosion echoed throughout the forest. The blonde was scrambling backwards with wide eyes as the light faded and Virgo vanished in a rain of gold light, returning back to the Spirit Realm to heal. Her ears were ringing and she felt light-headed as she staggered to her feet, leaning against the tree behind her for support. Peering up through her bangs, her hazy vision still allowed her to see the damage done. The dense trees surrounding them had been cleared like a bulldozer sweeping through the area. Smoke and was everywhere, cloaking the Dark Mages and concealing them from the Fairy Tail member. Ashes floated down around her like darkened snowflakes descending from the heavens, contrasting against the light blonde of Lucy's hair as they landed upon it.

She knew Loke was still out there fighting, yet he had left abruptly and then come back by opening his own gate for the sake of Lucy's magic energy. Thanking him under her breath, she pulled out two keys to summon Taurus and Capricorn. She knew her Magic levels were low, but she swore as a Fairy Tail Mage to finish this mission and she'd be damned if she let these Dark Mages slip away after harming so many people _including_ one of her Spirits.

_They were going to pay._

**LINE BREAK**

A while had passed until Happy and Natsu had slowed their descent from the heavens to a complete stop and planted their feet back on solid ground once again. Pressing a finger to his lips to motion the exceed to remain silent, the Dragon Slayer sniffed the air a few more times with a serious expression, trying to pinpoint the exact location of the scent. Whoever it belonged to, this person smelled like two scents that were intriguing to the Fire Mage. The first scent was familiar to the scent of Terranpet's surroundings, the second even more astounding…the scent of a dragon. As soon as he was set down, Natsu took off running through the rocky clearing, suddenly halting as he found what he was looking for hiding behind a section of hastily collected boulders made for shelter. Sitting on the ground, surrounded by fragments of shattered rocks, was a boy. The scent of salt water hung around him, Natsu having recognised it is tears as he approached him. Hugging his knees to his chest and hiding his face, a scratchy voice was heard. "I'm guessing it's finally over…if you're from the Council, I assure you, I defiantly didn't do it." He lifted his head, having sensed the pink-haired male's presence. "Oh," he scanned his attire with tear-filled eyes, noticing that he wasn't wearing the normal uniform of a Council Member. "Sorry…" he muttered quietly, scratching at his head, running his hand through his messy hair.

"Nah, its fine," Natsu crouched down in front of the boy, igniting his hand with flames to get a better look at him. With his face illuminated by the fire, he looked much older than the Fire Mage had guessed, even looking about the same age as the Salamander. Underneath his dark copper brown fringe, his eyes shone a light green as the orange glow danced across his features.

"You're from a Guild, aren't you?" the brunette murmured, glancing at the red emblem upon Natsu's shoulder.

Natsu nodded, grinning. "Yeah, I'm a Fairy Tail Mage," his smile then dropped. "You're from that town, aren't you?" he said in an uncharacteristically serious tone. He knew this teenager would have been the only survivor and guessed that he was away when the attack began. No wonder he was crying, he would've come home to his entire town slaughtered! "Don't worry, as a member of Fairy Tail, I'm gonna find who did this. I promise." Natsu placed his hand on the boy's shoulder, only for him to shuffle away. He sighed, dropping his hand. "I'm Natsu Dragneel, Fire Dragon Slayer." He introduced, this time holding out his hand for the brunette to shake. This time, he was rejected once again as his offer didn't even gain a second glance.

"Erin." The other teenager supplied shortly. He looked away from the Mages, furiously rubbing at his eyes.

Natsu guessed the boy had views almost alike to his own, sharing the hatred for crying in front of people. He didn't believe if others cried, it made them weak, but the Fire Dragon Slayer had a strong dislike of anyone thinking he _himself_ was weak because he could shed tears. "No last name?" Natsu inquired, tilting his head to the side.

Erin slowly looked up again and let out a soft, slightly exasperated sigh. "Magnar. Erin Magnar. Earth Dragon Slayer. That's it." He answered, averting his gaze once more.

Natsu sat down beside the fellow Dragon Slayer, tugging gently at the necklace around the younger boy's neck. "What's this?" he asked.

Erin looked down and gently pushed the Salamander's hands away. "The Earth Dragon that raised me, Terra, gave it to me a few years before she disappeared." It was a simple addition to his outfit, an elegantly crafted wooden star with gorgeously detailed symbols held by a woven chain.

Natsu brightened up, tugging at his scarf. "This is what my Dragon Igneel gave me." He said. "He disappeared as well, but maybe we'll find our Dragons together." He held out his hand. "What do you say?"

Erin sighed, allowing a small smile to appear. "Sure, Dragneel." He answered, taking his hand as he was dragged to his feet. "Thanks…you know, for coming to help out my home town…" he rubbed away the remains of his tears. "I was on a mission, I didn't think the Guild would go _this_far." He sighed sadly. "I should've been here, because now they've gone off to terrorise even more. I tried tracking their scent, but they were too fast, I couldn't keep up. I was weak and I couldn't get back at them for what they'd done to my people." He cursed under his breath at his uselessness, but Natsu shook his head.

"It wasn't your fault, Erin." He said, grinning as Happy flew over to them, perching himself atop the Salamander's head. "But we've accepted this request and we're not going to go back on our word. We're gonna get back at the ones who did this."

At his words, Erin grimly nodded. "We will." He said darkly. _"I will."_He followed after the two, keeping his head down as they walked. Natsu couldn't understand why he had a sudden feeling of uncertainty as they headed back towards the town. Nor did he understand why this feeling made an image of Lucy appear in his head when he thought of the Dark Mages on the run.

One thing none of them knew, neither Erza, Grey, Natsu nor Lucy knew…was that their missions were linked in a way they'd never guess.

.

..

…

**A/N: Recap: Natsu, Erza, Grey and Happy arrived at Terranpet three days after the Dark Guild they've been assigned to go after attacked their own townsfolk, killing all of them except for one member, Erin, a Dragon Slayer, who was away when the attack occurred. Since so many murders have occurred, the Council is starting to step in and since they were too late, the 4/5 members of Team Natsu will return to Magnolia with Master Makarov to decide their next course of action for the quest. And an energy and magic drained Lucy has returned from her search to find one of her worst fears confirmed –Constellar being attacked.**


	7. Automatic Danger Response Mode

**A/N: Just for side note, we're getting hit with a pretty intense cyclone tomorrow morning (I'd describe it as basically a hurricane to other readers) so I'll see how internet connection goes for next week. The phone lines are always the first to go I guess…but anyway, enjoy the chapter! I changed the book cover a bit but I love it now!** **Thank you to the 36 Favs and 75 Followers! Also a big thankyou to Bentears for the continued support! (I hope you continue to love Lucy as well!) Welcome to all new readers as well! Here's Chapter 7! Happy Update Friday!**

**Automatic Danger Response Mode**

"_Jump into the middle of things, get your hands dirty, fall flat on your face, and then reach for the stars."_

Today was certainly not her day, was it?

Her fatigue was painfully visible to her Spirits and to Lucy herself, but she refused to give up. Loke, Taurus and Capricorn were all in front of her now, fighting off the surprisingly short amount of Razor Fang members. It seemed that after the explosion, Loke had appeared out of nowhere to fend many off and caused some to retreat further into the woods. Now Lucy found herself faced with the man who had caused her beloved Maiden's demise. If she hadn't of been a Spirit, he would've committed a heartless murder without batting an eye. This infuriated Lucy to no ends as she faced off with the middle-aged man. "What are you doing this for, girl?" the Mage was almost cackling at her as she managed to dodge yet another blow of darkness. "Surely not for this helpless Kingdom. I bet it's for that amazing reward money, hmm?" small charcoal coloured orbs of light sparkled around the tips of his fingers, slowing growing larger in size until his entire hand was encased in darkness alike to the aura he was giving off. Only a tainted soul could have such a frightening sense of evil surrounding them, and this Mage was giving her chills as the pulsing magic rolled up his arms like blackened smoke climbing its way towards the heavens. It sickened her to see the one responsible for obliterating her close friend right before her eyes using the same Magic he had used on her.

"Reward money wouldn't be the only reason for me to take on a job, actually." Lucy hissed through her teeth, still standing strong even with her decreased power levels. She brought her Fleuve d'étoiles to life and cracked it forwards, encaging the Dark Mage's wrist. It caught him off guard, this becoming an advantage for the seventeen-year-old. With a harsh and sudden movement, she yanked her arm backwards with as much force as possible, wincing as pain sliced through her limb. It was for a good and successful cause though, as the elder wizard was flung pasted her and straight into the remains of a tree charred and damaged by the earlier explosion. "You're wrong, because in fact…" she transferred the whip into her other hand to refrain from using the newly torn muscles in her right arm. "…I'm doing this for everyone you've hurt!" Without allowing her enemy time to recover, she tugged on her Fleuve d'étoiles once again and slammed him into the ground in front of her. "For everyone you've killed." Virgo's agonised expression was not leaving her sight, the image seeming to have been printed on the back of her eyelids. "As a Celestial Mage and as a member of my Guild, I will defeat you as I promised!" She shouted.

The Razor Fang Mage simply smirked at her with bloodied lips. _"Oh really?"_ his voice practically dripped with sarcasm as he stared at her, almost taunting her to attack him once again as he dragged himself into a sitting position. Lucy gritted her teeth and raised her whip to deliver another blow while he was still down, but a rough hand grasped her wrist and squeezed it tightly. She gasped at the sudden pain and turned her head to find a pair of slanted hazel eyes staring back at her. One of the middle-aged man's comrades had sneaked through Capricorn, Taurus and Loke's defences, much to her surprise. Electricity sparked in the other man's free hand and Lucy instinctively jumped back, tearing her newly sore wrist from the stranger's grip just as a rustle of leaves caught her attention. The Celestial Mage could almost laugh at her bad luck as five new members, _reinforcements_ she presumed, burst through the trees and dived for her. Today was certainly not Lucky Lucy's day, which was a surprise in itself at her regular good luck. She tried not to dwell on it in that short amount of time, protecting her head with her arms as she knew she wouldn't be able to dodge in time.

_Thud._

_Thud._

_Thud._

_Thud._

_Thud._

The dull sound of five bodies smacking against solid wood caused Lucy's head to shoot up in an instant. A soft gasp left her lips as she found three wooden walls and one glass wall encasing her, saving her from harm. "Horologium!" the blonde haired girl hugged her knees to her chest after draping the blanket he brought whenever summoned around herself.

The loyal Clock Spirit rose and took off running as he used the stunned Mages reactions to his advantage to get his owner to safety. "It seems I made it just in time," He said as he hurriedly journeyed through the forest. "I was currently in Automatic Danger Response Mode and I sensed you were in trouble," he added on a side note.

Lucy nodded gratefully as he carried her along. "Thank you, Horologium," she said, knowing she wouldn't have made it out of that situation without his help.

The Spirit simply nodded as he travelled. "Your Magic power levels seem dangerously low, Miss Lucy," he commented. Lucy sighed, feeling defeated that they had left behind her three Zodiac Spirits. He sensed her discomfort. "They wouldn't have been able to fight if you were taken out by the enemy in such a way." He reminded. "Your safety is our priority, after all." The silver key spirit chimed.

"Horologium-" she didn't finish her sentence as he made a pained cry and she felt her skin and clothes ache with a burning sensation.

_"I guess my time is up…"_was all he could muster before he vanished.

"No! Horologium!" Lucy cried as she fell onto the ground with singed clothes and burns marring her skin. She winced as she noticed the Dark Guild Mage with the power to cause explosions step out in front of her. Why had he been the only one to pursue her? Why did she even care? She couldn't get to her feet, the fatigue from her overuse of magic was finally catching up with her body. She could only wait for the final blow to be delivered as the Explosion user stalked towards her with a twisted smirk upon his lips. Her magic had expired, Capricorn and Taurus had been sent back. Virgo had been obliterated, Horologium had been blow apart. Aquarius couldn't be summoned as there was no water and she was out of Magic Power anyway. Who did she have left? Lucy lowered her head and racked her brains for an idea but she came up with nothing. The muscles in her right arm were torn and she was horrible at aiming with her left. She had no strength left to move anyway. The blanket the faithful Clock Spirit always brought with him slowly slid off of her shoulders and the red fabric pooled on the dirt around her. She was shaking from anger, fear and the cold all at the same time. Her hands curled into fists as she stared at the ground beneath her in utter helplessness.

"No more Spirits, hey blondie?" the male's tone was teasing as he reached her, yet Lucy refused to look at him. She kept her gaze focused on the dirtied and worn boots of the Mage about to destroy her.

With a groan of annoyance from the man, she felt his hand reach down and grasp her by the hair, forcefully and quite harshly bringing her head up so he could see her face. "Mornin' Sunshine," he chuckled loudly, obviously trying to make a joke from the fact that they were surrounded by black from the darkness of the night. It fell sour. Lucy cringed slightly "Ya know, it's kinda unfortunate that I have to blow up such a pretty face." He looked slightly amused, but his slanted grey eyes showed a tinge of remorse. "Sorry about this, blondie, but we can't have ya stuffing up our Guild Master's plans." While one hand held her head in place, the other was raised and brought to her face, cupping her cheek. "I'll make this quick," He muttered, half to himself. Her tearful eyes widened as she felt his hands began to heat up as he began to surge magic through his veins. She was too paralysed by fear to move as she felt her hair begin to burn slightly, the sizzling barely heard over the endless ringing in her ears. Was he really going to blow her up, just like Virgo and Horologium? "G'night blondie," The Mage whispered.

**LINE BREAK**

Fairy Tail was illuminated by streetlights, and the streets of Magnolia were deserted with the exception of a few souls wandering around beneath the moonlight. It was barely two hours before the sun rose and it was easy to see the fatigue on the Mages' faces as they trudged back to their Guild. Happy had flown back home by himself, yet Master Makarov had asked for Erza, Grey and Natsu to stay behind for a while before returning home themselves. Erin, the sole survivor of Terranpet, minus the Dark Guild Members, was taken in by the council for further questioning on the events that had taken place. Unfortunately for the Earth Dragon Slayer, he was seen as a possible suspect and even an ally to the Dark Guild, just for surviving without "proper evidence" to where he had been. It had angered Natsu to no end as they left the boy, merely a few years older than Natsu, behind. But they reluctantly followed the orders given to them and had finally returned back to Magnolia and found the Guild Hall empty since everyone had gone home for the night hours ago. The only Mage who was there to greet them was Mirajane, who was seated at the bar, cleaning a glass when they had entered the Hall. She greeted them with a tired smile and a wave.

"Mira, shouldn't you be at home asleep–" Erza began to scold her for being up so late but Makarov lifted his hand, the gesture causing her to halt.

"I asked her to wait for us, Erza. She'll be involved in this mission as well as the rest of you now." He explained before he turned to the Take-Over Mage. "Thank you, once again Mira, for coming on such short notice." He said with a curt nod.

Mira shook her head. "Its fine, Master." She assured, rubbing her eyes. "Oh, and I got that thing you asked for," she laid out a detailed and beautifully designed chart of sorts showing the expanse of Fiore and its surrounding fellow countries across one of the many tables. Makarov beckoned his children to follow him and they circled the table, peering down at the scroll.

"As you are all aware, the Council is involved in this crusade to bring these murderers down." The Guild Master began. "They are a serious threat to those who use Magic and those who don't and have even gone to the extent of killing children. We're unaware of their motive at the current moment, but according to reports on them they seem to be searching for something…maybe even someone." He narrowed his eyes down at the paper. "We've mapped out several places they could have gone…" he muttered in a gruff voice. "But if we do in fact track them down, you all need to be aware of the catastrophic amount of damage they can do, as we've only become recently aware of it ourselves." He warned. "The risk is much higher than it ever was before. We're only involving certain members of the Guild as they could be put in possible danger for having any information about the enemy." He glanced upwards at his brats to assure that they understood the gravity of the situation. They all nodded to show they could comprehend the circumstances, yet Natsu simply scowled down at the large sheet before them, arms folded. He was still fuming about what had occurred earlier that evening and was not enjoying the fact that they were being "warned" as such when they obviously knew what type of people they were messing with. He knew they were dangerous, Erza knew, Grey knew, hell– even Happy knew.

"Terranpet was where we believed their main base was," Makarov continued as he dragged his finger across the map spread before them, tracing a line from that town and across Fiore into another neighbouring continent. "But from Erin and other sources, they were seen heading the west and out of Fiore altogether." He shuffled to the side so Erza could learn over and observe better as he explained.

"What's the name of this stupid Guild?" Natsu suddenly demanded, slamming his fists onto the desk out of frustration. Erza scolded him for his outburst and cutting off the Guild Master, but he paid no attention. His patience had begun to wear thin hours ago and he was going to completely lose it soon if he didn't catch the name of these bastards. He needed to know everything _quickly,_he'd gained his impatience from his foster father and was about to smash a table if this wasn't over soon.

Makarov sighed heavily and looked up at the Dragon Slayer, his features showing exhaustion underneath the mask of seriousness he'd been wearing the entire evening. "Razor Fang," he answered slowly. "The Dark Guild Razor Fang. They're the ones committing all of the murders and thefts for what seems to have been quite some time. They're the ones who we are after." He lowered his gaze back down onto the map when the sound of glass shattering grasped everyone's attention.

All eyes shifted onto Mira, who had wide-eyes and her mouth agape in horror as her hands clasped onto nothing but air. She stumbled backwards, the glass she'd been cleaning laying in broken fragments at her feet. She'd dropped it in surprise as she recognised the name her Guild Master had uttered. "R-Razor Fang…" she echoed in a panicked voice. "You're sure? Absolutely positive that that's their name?!" she demanded.

Makarov looked taken aback but he nodded. "I'm absolutely positive." He assured. "Is something the matter? Have you heard of them before?" he asked.

"No…but this is bad…" moaned the Take-Over Mage, leaning against the bar to support her suddenly shaking legs. "If they're as you say…committing all those murders…" she raised a hand to her forehead, shaking her head in worry. "Lucy. Lucy's in danger." Her eyes met Makarov's and Team Natsu stared at her in shock as tears began to form. "Loke visited me earlier, just moments before you arrived. He asked me about the Razor Fang Guild but I had no idea that this would be linked to her…" she was almost shivering as she fretted about the Celestial Mage.

"Mira, what are you saying?" Natsu moved from the table and stepped forward, frowning at the white-haired woman's sudden worry. "What do you _mean_ Lucy's in danger?" he narrowed his eyes, waiting for her to elaborate.

Mira looked to him and bit her lip. "Lucy's on a mission right now…" she said softly. "And…and according to Loke…apparently she was attacked. Lucy was attacked by the Razor Fang Guild…" she covered her face with her hands, mumbling something sounding alike to the words, _"never should have let her gone"_ against her palms. Grey and Erza exchanged concerned glances as the woman continued. "She's out there by herself, Loke said she was out of Magic power a-and…" she shook her head. "You said they've been murdering left and right…"

Natsu stumbled backwards and almost fell over Grey and Erza when she wondered something aloud that made his blood run cold.

"…_what if they murder Lucy?"_

**LINE BREAK**

Now when Loke shouted _"Over my dead body!"_ at the top of his lungs, he meant it. Even as the Leader of the Zodiacs and even if he was immortal as a Celestial Spirit, he would die for Lucy, for the girl who saved his life. "I guess I should also get an Automatic Danger Response Mode," he muttered as he shot a well-timed Regulus Blast slammed the man about to end the Stellar Mage's life straight into a tree. After catching the enemy off guard, the exceptionally loyal Lion raced back to his owner and lifted her in his arms so she rested her head against his chest and leaned against him. She was visibly shaking in his arms, clutching at the front of his jacket as she stared wide-eyed off into the distance. She could barely hear Loke apologizing for not arriving sooner and he cursed himself for almost allowing her to die. Even if he had saved her, she seemed traumatised from the whole ordeal itself, one hand pressed against the burn marring her cheek and the other grasping at the front of his suit, looking for something to grab onto to console herself.

"L-Loke…" she whispered, sniffling. "T-Thank you…thank you…" she let go of his jacket to wipe her tears as he carried her off towards the Kingdom of Constellar once again, remembering the route. "I'm sorry," she breathed.

"You don't have to apologize," Loke assured. "You nor even the royals of Constellar knew of how bad this Guild was." He narrowed his eyes, his expression serious as he thought back on the Mages they had encountered. "I've done some research from visits here about them because I was worried, and I need you to give up on this mission." When she looked up at him to protest, he cut her off. "You almost died back there, Lucy! These guys have been on murdering streaks for months now but have been undetected until recently! They're way worse than you could comprehend. If you could somehow bring them down, you'd be paid millions, not what the King and Queen have stated in their job request. This should be classed as an S-Class mission." He looked furious. "They might have retreated for tonight, but they'll be back. If you're taking _any_of them on, you'll be at full Magic power levels _and_I'll be there." It wasn't a suggestion as his face remained serious until they reached the castle and Lucy bashfully explained what had happened while Loke refused to set her down. They were escorted to a room where her belongings had been placed and after she'd gotten dressed, she met Loke in the room as they both sat down on the large bed.

"This could probably fit all of my team," Lucy had joked when she first saw it.

Loke simply smiled at her as she got under the covers while he rested atop them. "I'll stay here for tonight," he said. "As your loyal Lion, I'll protect you during the night." He told her with a smirk.

Lucy rolled her eyes as she turned away from him, but was grateful nevertheless. "Thanks, Loke," she whispered softly. He simply nodded. He knew she needed some comfort after the near-death experience which seemed to render her quieter than usual for the rest of the evening.

He also knew that those were tears he saw as she subconsciously touched her scarred cheek during her rest.

.

..

…

**A/N: LoLu is like my BROTP &amp; Grey and Loke are also a BROTP. But yeah I love how much all of Lucy's Spirits adore her. Especially Loke and Plue. Kawaii~! So I'll see you guys next Friday!**


	8. Occultation of Regulus&Fiore's Frontline

**A/N: *48 Favs and 89 Follows Dance Party* I've been doing some research on stars recently really getting into astronomy. On March 20, 2014 there was the Occultation of Regulus, I missed it, but Regulus was obscured by an asteroid and was hidden for 12 seconds. That was the inspiration for Chap 8's start. Also, the Harp Spirit Lyra gets her own meteor shower on April 22ndand 23rd. The Lyrids Meteor Shower will have 20 meteors produced from the constellation Lyra every hour. So I've been researching future meteor showers and eclipses and things like that. A lot of future occurrences remind me of Lucy's Spirits. On July 28 we get Aquarius' meteor shower! (I really hope Lucy watches out, she might have a few hurled at her!)**

_**Lilpumpkingirl**_**… Such foreshadowing XD.**_**Aeotae**_**, you're really sweet, thank you for everything you said!**_**Lyn**_**, here's your desired update!**_**Bentears**_**, I swear we're reading each other's minds. I love your enthusiasm so much because this is what I've always wanted for Lucy too. I'm really looking forward to writing a future scene where Team Natsu give her recognition for being badass and I really want her to have boosted confidence for her solo mission! (I'm keeping the "save the damsel" to a minimum).**_**xXxSatasixXx**_**, I'm glad you're enjoying the way I'm putting everything &amp; thank you! Thanks to**_**QueenofBlackCats11588**_**and**_**Rose's Shadow**_**as well! And**_**starfire,**_**BROTP is a couple you see as best friends forever. Like how I love Team Natsu and see them as being best friends forever. I**_**did**_**mention in the summary everything you said. The whole summary thing is coming into view pretty soon, I promise. Uh…Natsu's not going to turn into "dragon mode" as you put it, I'm not sure where you got that from but I could see I can put that in somewhere. But when you said only Lucy being able to read the things and recognise it as her mothers, all of that is correct and coming soon. It's all going to be explained, because it's kinda complex. Thanks for the compliments :D. And the Celestial Dragon**_**is**___**related to future scenes, if you were wondering. I'm not sure about the whole people being on verge of death and forgotten memories thing, but that's an awesome idea. I'll try and add some of your suggestions in. The whole light conquering dark thing?**_**That's**_**defiantly happening!**

**Occultation of Regulus and Fiore's Frontline**

_Shoot me down, but I get up_

_I'm bulletproof, nothing to lose_

_Fire away, fire away_

_Ricochet, you take your aim_

_Fire away, fire away_

Was punching someone in the face allowed if they irritated you even though they had saved your life a few hours ago?

This was the question a certain Lucy Heartfilia was faced with as her "Loyal Lion" decided to wake her up at two-past-two in the morning for the sake of star gazing. Now, as a Celestial Mage, Lucy had a love, even a _passion_ for star gazing. She and her mother would always mark the date whenever a Celestial phenomenon was going to occur back in the past. No matter what the time whether after midnight or not, Layla would sneak up to the roof with her daughter by her side to gaze at the natural beauty they were lucky enough to grasp a glimpse of. Meteor showers, Lunar Eclipses…the blonde-haired girl adored all of them and all their beauty. After her mother died, the young child would still mark each event and hope that in heaven Layla would have a good view of the stars and their showcases. Back in the present, Lucy was no longer a child and she was certainly and utterly _pissed_at the Leader of the Zodiacs when he gave her a bright grin and mentioned something that would only last _twelve seconds._How enjoyable! It's not like they'd come back from a fierce battle or anything merely two hours ago, right? Of course not! This was why Loke was understanding when Lucy slammed her fist into his shoulder and shoved him away before she rolled back over and tried to go back to sleep.

"Come_on,_Lucy!" the Spirit whined ever so childishly. "It's a really rare event and you're going to miss it if you don't get up!" He shook the girl's shoulders. "I thought you said you liked asteroids and stars and whatnot." He tugged on her arm, causing her to roll over and sit up, glaring.

"Does it really matter if it's _rare_if it means it only happens for twelve seconds, Loke?!" she demanded hotly. "I'm exhausted and _you're_ the one who was telling me I needed rest!" she jabbed his shoulder as she reminded him to prove her point.

Loke sighed in exasperation and lifted up the blonde and carried her from the bed and over to the balcony connected to their room. If it had been any other occasion and they hadn't been staying in a castle with royalty in nearby rooms, she most likely would've kicked and screamed and ranted on about her sleep before clocking him one in the nose. Fortunately for him, they were surrounded by currently slumbering members of a royal family and she was forced to stay quiet with a grumpy expression as he moved them onto the balcony. Gently setting her down, he pointed to the sky where the constellation of Leo shone brightly among its fellow stars. "Since you took so long, we almost missed it." He huffed. Lucy rolled her eyes, hugging her bare arms for warmth as the clothes she'd been given for nightwear only consisted of a few silk nightgowns. Even though she brought her own gear, the maids that had gifted her with the clothing had insisted she'd wear it.

"So do you know what the date is?" Loke asked, his smile teasing as he looked to her. He obviously knew what it was, but wanted her to guess incorrectly so he could tell her all about it and all about whatever _glorious_ event was about to occur solely on this day, at this moment.

So she let out an exasperated sigh and shrugged. "I don't know, the 18th?" she guessed.

Loke's eyes lit up with amusement. "Nope, it's March 20th." He corrected. "Do you know what's happening at 2:07am on March 20th, in a few moment's time?" He nudged her jokingly, awaiting another answer.

Lucy shook her head. "Please enlighten me." She said tiredly.

The Lion smirked, moving his finger to trace his constellation in the sky. "You're about to witness the Occultation of Regulus, my dear," He notified smugly. "It's an _extremely_rare event which is going to happen in a few seconds. There's gonna be an asteroid that flies past Regulus and conceals it and makes it invisible for twelve seconds. Pretty cool, right?" He draped an arm across her shoulders, keeping his other out and continuing to point at the location where the Occultation would occur so his key owner wouldn't miss it. Lucy nodded, leaned closer to him for warmth, and reluctantly watched the skies, waiting. The star and heart of Loke's powers was shining brightly, winking at her, blocking out the darkness of night around it.

Then it was gone.

"Now watch this," Loke lifted up his fist and it suddenly glowed with light, yet it was dim, certainly different to the normally bright gold his attacks usually shone with. The white light encased his entire body, yet it didn't seem to be harming him. "Whenever something happens with our constellations, our powers are effected." He explained. "If my heart, Regulus, is blocked out, my power levels are lowered." His entire form was illuminated for those few moments while Lucy stared at him in awe.

"I didn't know that…" she breathed, pulling out her ring of keys from her nightgown pocket. The golden key was glimmering in a way identical to him underneath the moonlight, making Loke laugh. Then they directed their attention back to the starry heavens. After a few moments of silence, the white light faded away and Regulus was visible among its fellow stars once again.

"And there you go." Loke nodded up at his constellation before turning back to the teenager. "Now, off to bed." He directed her back inside and closed the door behind him. "We need your strength levels at their best, don't we?" the Lion smirked as she rolled her eyes and crawled back underneath the warmth of the blankets. "I'll head back to the Celestial Realm for a bit," he informed her. "I need to check up on everything every so often as the Leader of the Zodiacs, but I'll be back soon, okay?" He gently patted the Mage's head. Lucy nodded, understanding. She'd probably be asleep by the time he arrived back, with one minute in his world equivalent to ninety in hers.

"Tell Capricorn, Taurus, Horologium and Virgo that I said thank you for their efforts." She murmured sleepily. "Especially Virgo and Horologium, I want to make sure they're okay. I'll see you later, Loke." She said in farewell.

"Get some rest until then." He said before he jokingly bowed goodbye in a poor imitation of the Maiden Spirit before vanishing in a rain of golden light.

Lucy reached her hand up to her scarred cheek and winced as it continued to sting. She hoped the markings would soon fade away, making a mental note to apply ice in the morning.

**LINE BREAK**

Dawn broke, the stars faded away, the sun rose. It was early morning and in Magnolia Natsu, Grey, Erza, Mira and Happy were being briefed on their mission. Much to Natsu, Grey and Happy's displeasure, they'd been called in to Fairy Tail at five o'clock on the dot, though since the Dragon Slayer and his blue companion had arrived a few minutes late, Erza had their heads. Not literally, but they'd had a rough enough beating that would leave them sore for the next few hours. Makarov had given both Mira and Erza (the most reliable ones in the group) two maps showing various locations for them to search for the Razor Fang members. Natsu had barely been paying attention until he heard the distance they'd have to travel. "….it'll take approximately six hours to get there…" the Guild Master was explaining.

He opened his mouth to say more when the Fire Mage began to gag as his face drained of colour. "S-Six _hours?!_Y-You're kidding." He looked horrified as he leant against the cart carrying Erza's luggage for support, holding his stomach. "I think I'm gonna be sick…" he moaned loudly.

"Don't get sick just by thinking about it, you idiot!" Grey snapped, oblivious to the fact he'd been missing his shirt for the past couple of minutes. "Just get over it!" He folded his arms angrily, muttering at his rival under his breath before Mira kindly alerted him that he'd also just stripped down to his boxers, causing the Ice Mage to let out a cry of surprise and start searching for his clothes.

"As I was saying," Makarov said as he resumed his briefing, ignoring the interruption. "You'll all have to be on your guard as you are all aware of the damage these Mages have been able to do." He warned in a grave tone. "When you run into this Guild, be sure to knock them unconscious, rather than "defeating" them." He sent a certain look Natsu's way before clearing his throat. "They'll need to be captured and put into custody and then trialled for the crimes they have committed. If you have to opportunity to knock them out and keep caged, do so." He looked to Grey, who nodded, muttering something about making a cage of solid ice to Mira. "Finally," Master Makarov concluded, folding his arms. "Find Lucy and make her aware of everything. From Loke's reports, she has encountered Razor Fang already, but she might be oblivious to what they've been capable of in the past. Protect your Nakamara, understood?"

He smirked as his children nodded and chimed back with a cry of _"Understood!"_ in unison.

"Good." He said. "I'll see you all when you return, then. Have you all got the Calling Cards from Cana?" he brought out his own and watched as each Mage held up the cards they would use for communication in case they all became seperated. "Good luck then." Makarov turned on his heel and walked back into the Guild as the group set off towards the train station.

Everyone had at least a backpack each in terms of luggage besides the enormous amount of bags the Requip Mage was dragging along behind her. Natsu sluggishly followed after his comrades, his face already showing a tinge of green as he complained to Happy about the duration of the trip. "He's always like this on missions, isn't he?" Mira mused, looking sympathetically towards the Dragon Slayer.

Erza nodded, raising her free hand and clenching it into a fist. "If his motion sickness becomes too much, I'll resort to knocking him unconscious for the length of the journey," She said, sparing a glance to the pale-faced Fire Mage. Happy was hovering in the air by his side, trying to comfort him as best he could while staying out of range in case Natsu decided to be sick everywhere.

"What are we going to do with him in between stops?" Grey asked as he moved closer to the girls, overhearing their conversation. "Gramps said we've got more than a couple trains to catch," he recalled in a sour tone.

"We can just haul him onto the cart with my belongings, if worse comes to worse." Erza shrugged. At her suggestion she felt a sudden added weight and turned to see Happy drop the pink-haired teenager upon her luggage as soon as she finished speaking. With an apologetic look, the exceed took a place beside his friend. The Weapon Mistress had a strong urge to call them free-loaders but bit her tongue.

"Lucy travelled all this way by herself…" Mira murmured thoughtfully. "Over six hours…she must have been lonely." The white-haired woman turned to look at her old rival, who nodded in agreement.

"Lucy's stronger than we give her credit for." Erza reminded, looking over her shoulder to assure herself that her luggage was being treated properly by a motion-sick Natsu. If she found a trace of vomit upon any of her belongings, she'd have his head. "But I'll commend her on her bravery for taking on such a task on her first solo mission." She then turned her head towards one of her male comrades. "Grey…" she stated with a blank expression. He turned to her, expecting for her to continue when she deadpanned, "…your clothes are missing, again." She gestured to the discarded shirt which had somehow gotten on the floor across the station and the pants he'd been wearing which had ended up on Happy's head as the six-year-old cried in surprise. The Ice Mage stared down at his remaining clothes which only consisted of his boxers and backpack, the latter of which had stayed on his back the entire journey here, but yet his shirt had still somehow removed itself from his body with the pack still on.

"I still don't understand how this happens…" he muttered, scanning the area for his shoes and he slouched off to retrieve his pants from a rather traumatised blue feline.

**LINE BREAK**

After practically being treated like royalty, _by royalty_, with a grand breakfast in the comfort of her room, Lucy was tended by a group of the Kingdom's finest healers. Her injuries were all treated quickly, yet her arms had to be thoroughly bandaged and the scars marring the left side of her face still existed, yet they'd fade quite faster from the nurses' handiwork. Her torn muscles had been mended from some magic type of cream that soothed the pain instantly. The Celestial Mage thanked them profusely, especially Laura, who'd told her to stay away from any heat-based Magic as she and her co-workers had looked horrified at the pain she'd had to endure during the night. Lucy had laughed at that. _How could I stay away from heat-based Magic if my closest friend is a Fire Dragon Slayer?_ She'd wanted to ask, just to see their reactions.

But after they had treated her, they'd left her alone and Loke appeared a few moments afterwards. "Virgo and Horologium are fine." The Lion quickly informed at the sight of her anxious expression. "But they'll need a little more time to recover. Oh, Virgo wanted me to give these to you." He placed a pile of Celestial Clothing in her arms. "Apparently they'll help your Magic Energy decrease at a slower pace or help with summoning Spirits or something, I wasn't really paying attention." He shrugged, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"Of course you weren't." Lucy scoffed, rolling her eyes as she rose from the bed. "I'll go get dressed." She wandered over to the adjoining bathroom and shut the door behind her as she entered the room. Clicking the lock shut, she rested the clothes on the counter beside the sink. She remembered this distinctive gold and cobalt attire. The Maiden had dressed her and Natsu in a matching set of clothes after saving them from a deadly fall during the time they had first met Wendy.

Quickly dressing, she felt the change in her Magic Energy slightly. _Maybe Celestial attire only has effects on Celestial Wizards…_Lucy wondered. Tying her hair into pigtails with the star hair pins Virgo had supplied, she exited the room and wrapped her belt around her waist. They journey from the grand castle and into the depths of the forest was silent for the most part. They knew their enemies were injured, but powerful. Especially that explosion master…he made her stomach churn.

"Stay by my side, Lucy." Loke said as they moved further into the forest. He quickly glanced to her arms, which she'd taken the bandaging off of. A Magic salve had been quickly applied just before their departure, but her wounds were still visible. Lucy nodded, taking a step closer to him for the sake of both of their comfort levels. "I think we should get this over quite quickly," He murmured. "I'll lead them all into one area and we'll take them out all at once." It was a plan, at least. Something they hadn't had before. She supposed that had been a bad call, but they wouldn't have had any time to prepare a strategy, given the situation she was literally thrown into.

"I could summon Gemini." Lucy suggested. "With the Twins, they could summon more Spirits out at once to take all of the Mages out." She patted her belt as she wondered aloud.

"Then that's what we'll do." Loke said. "But for the final blow, I'm thinking you could use that spell of yours…Urano Metria." He smiled as she looked at him in interest at the idea. "It's powerful enough if it's just you, but what if Gemini could transform into you and chant it alongside you?" the Spirit shrugged.

"It'd be twice as powerful." She finished the plan with a grin. "I think we'll do just that, Loke." She pulled out her Fleuve d'étoiles and activated it as Loke shot a Regulus Blast at a mass of trees, drawing attention towards them. They were in silence for a few moments before the Razor Fang members shot through the air, one in particular smirking at Lucy as soon as he caught sight of her. The blood drained from her face as she realised they also had a plan a bit too late as an explosion rang through the air. Again. The force sent both Celestial Mage and Spirit backwards, yet they were uninjured. The smoke was blinding them, leaving them as open targets as their vision was taken out.

"Lucy!" Loke's voice was nearby, much to her relief. She felt a presence behind her and guessed it was him.

"I'm…I'm okay…" The Celestial Mage assured, standing straight once again, turning to him–

She let out a scream as a mass of fire appeared out of nowhere and yet another explosion rang throughout the trees. The force of the blast slammed the girl through the air and straight into a tree, crying out at the impact as her arms and legs were scorched. The remains of the salve had been burned off and her old wounds stung harshly along with the new. "H-Hah…hah…" she panted heavily, willing herself not to cry at the smell of burning clothes and flesh.

"Blondie, we meet again." The voice caught her attention and she lifted her head, one eye squeezed shut as she looked at the man who had caused her injuries once again, repeating the acts of the night before. She clasped one hand over her left eye, wincing at the added burns. _Is he going to burn off the entire left side of my face or what? _She thought bitterly. Cracking Fleuve d'étoiles forward, it grasped his wrist and he was caught off guard. _Perfect. _This made it easy to slam him into the surrounding trees, one after the other, acting quickly so he couldn't use his Magic. Unfortunately, she only got a few good hits in before he somehow separated himself from her whip and shot more blasts at her.

She cracked Fleuve d'étoiles again and again and he would dodge. He fired blast after blast and she'd dodge. They were attacking and dodging in a cycle over and over again. Loke seemed to be managing fine on his own to her delight, yet Lucy was in an everlasting battle with a single master of explosions. They were dancing around each other, attacking and dodging, attacking and dodging. She needed to stop this cycle as a few minutes turned into an hour and time went on around them. After summoning Scorpio for assistance, her Magic Energy surely decreased as the hours dragged on. Soon enough she closed his Gate to regain as much Magic as possible. She was lost in her own thoughts when more blasts were fired. Disorientated from the ringing in her ears and blurred vision, Lucy did not come out unscathed. It was taking all of her willpower not to curl up on the ground and scream at the agony she was feeling, but she'd get up again. She wouldn't let them win no matter how many times she was knocked down. _Where's Loke? Where is he?! _She looked around wildly in the smoke, trying to get her breathing under control. "You got some pretty bad burns there, blondie." The elder Mage commented. "Might need to get them checked out." She wasn't sure if he was serious or just toying with her, but he infuriated her nevertheless.

"Hah…ah…my…my name's…L-Lucy…" She was sick of this man by now, glaring at him as she reached for her keys. "Don't…don't…hah…call me _b-blondie_…"

He looked taken aback, but smirked. "Well then, _Lucy_, I've never been on a first-person basis with people I'm told to kill." He took a stance, lifting his fists up towards her. "But since you've gone to all this trouble, call me Zach." Slanted grey eyes met wide brown ones as they were in a stare off. His manner of speaking was different now, especially since none of his comrades were around him and he looked younger in daylight. He looked to be around her age…maybe they themselves could have been friends if they'd met on better terms. _Maybe._

"How…how many people…hah…" she bent her head, breaking eye contact as she took deep, slow breaths. "…are in…hah…your Guild?" she discreetly slipped Gemini's key into her right hand, dropping her other hand from her scarred face. Zach looked down and his hands and to her surprise he actually began counting! Perfect distraction! _"Open, Gate of the Twins, Gemini." _She kept her voice low so he wouldn't hear, summoning the two Spirits by her side. Nodding to them, Lucy sent them a certain look and with a salute the Spirits transformed in a flash of light.

"Open, Gate of the Archer!" were the first words to come from her doppelganger's mouth as she watched a mirror image of herself life a sparkling key into the air. "Sagittarius!" Gemini commanded. The enemy looked up in surprise and cursed as he realised he'd been somehow so easily absorbed in such a menial task and left himself open for attack. Sagittarius appeared with a cry of '_Moshi-moshi!' _as he always did in that comforting manner of his. "Go help out Loke, he's fighting off Dark Mages in the smoke!" the real Lucy cried, watching as her Spirit charged forwards.

The two blondes stared down their enemy side by side. Gemini was dressed differently of course, still the same clothes she'd worn the day they'd copied her appearance for the first time while fighting Angel. "Gemini, we're going to try to do Urano Metria, alright?" Lucy said, holding up her hand to press her palm against her double's.

"Uh…alright…if you say so…" the Spirit was uncertain, yet willing to try.

With an assuring nod for her to begin from her Spirit, Lucy started charging her Magic Energy. "Survey the Heavens; Open the Heavens..." she began. "All the stars, far and wide...show me thy appearance with such shine…" golden light started to spin around her and orbs of stardust appeared as the spell began to intensify.

Zach seemed to laugh at this. "You think I'll allow you time to perform your little spell?" he raised his hands at the two of them, sparking with electric energy, ready to blast them apart when Loke charged forwards and knocked him to the ground.

"I think you will," He hissed, slamming the enemy against the dirt, tying his hands behind his back. "Make a move to set off any explosions and _I'll_burn off your hands," He threatened darkly, one hand glowing with the power of Regulus. Zach scoffed angrily, looking for his comrades which were being taken down by a…what was it exactly? A horse…but a man? Oh, and now an extremely well dressed goat appeared too. _Wonderful._

"Those Earth Mages were less of a hassle…" he muttered under his breath, looking up as the shine from the blonde-haired girls had grown blindingly bright.

"Open thy malevolent gate…oh 88 Stars of the heaven..._Shine!_" Lucy's eyes opened, shining bright golden stars as the light spiralled around her_. _It was that moment that her gaze was caught by something ever so dim but eye catching. Like a soft orb of light, almost like a comet with a trail of stardust following behind it, she saw a star fall from the small but ever so beautiful as time slowed down as it descended upon the earth. It glimmered shiningly and as it hit the ground that was when an overwhelming amount of energy coursed through her veins and her eyes rolled into the back of her head at the entirety of it. _**"Urano Metria!"**_ A blast of gold blast surged from the duo and bathed the clearing in light and illuminated the entire forest. A wave of power flattened out the surrounding trees and a crater smashed the ground around her feet. The agonised screams of the Dark Guild members blasted Loke's eardrums as he emerged without a scratch, yet the man he had trapped was burned just as badly as he burned the Celestial Mage. Gemini and Sagittarius had vanished as Lucy's Magic Power was completely exhausted. Leaving his now unconscious hostage alone, the Lion rushed forward caught Lucy in his arms as she fell backwards.

"Gotcha," He helped the girl back up to her feet. "Nice job, Lucy. You took them all out in one blow." He praised, only now noticing she was mumbling about finding something.

"I have…I have to find it…" she gasped weakly, stumbling forward until she fell down, propping herself up on her hands and knees. Tears were in the corners of her eyes at the pain of her newly formed burns, but that was the least of her worries at the moment. She needed to find that light, that fallen star that boosted her power. "I h-have to…" her feeble attempts to get to her feet once again were a waste of energy she no longer possessed.

"You're not going anywhere, Lucy." Loke said firmly, lifting her off of the ground and into his arms again. "I'm getting you back to Starlight, you need medical attention." He held her close to his chest and gently as possible, certainly not oblivious to the grimaces she made as he moved. There were burns marring most of her arms and legs, her clothes torn and singed once again. Her face was bruised and scarred even worse than before. "Gemini and Capricorn will come through his own gate and bring Gemini with him so they'll begin gathering all of the Razor Fang members if you were worried." His concerned expression faded as he beamed at her with a sense of proudness. "You brought down an entire Dark Guild, Lucy. Without your team. You should have bragging rights for several months, I'm guessing. Maybe a year." He chuckled. Lucy smiled faintly as a feeling of pride blossomed in her chest. If she had more energy, she would be jumping, practically dancing and cheering at the achievement she'd never thought she'd be able to accomplish. She'd have more time to celebrate after resting, though, as her Magic Energy was gone. It wasn't a surprise that she fell unconscious in a few moments.

**LINE BREAK**

"I'm BACK!" Natsu shouted gleefully at the sky, pumping his fist in the air as he practically dived off of the train, Happy following after him. Erza and Mira watched him in amusement as he danced around the area, praising the immobile ground for not being a part of transportation. Grey grouchily trailed along behind him, tugging his shirt back over his head after a train conductor shouted at him for "Public Nudity" or some crap he really wasn't bothered to listen to.

"Remember if you see any of the members of Razor Fang, alert the rest of the group." Erza reminded, pulling out her Calling Card.

"Aye sir!" Natsu and Happy chimed.

Mira laughed at that before her expression changed to one of concern. "Erza, look." She pointed to the sky as a mass of smoke was seen, showing the middle of battle.

Erza's eyes widened. "Lucy may be fighting them," she said, frowning. Grey, Natsu and Happy's heads snapped to attention.

"Let's go help her out." Grey said.

Erza nodded. "Let's go!" she commanded, taking lead beside Mira as they charged into the forest. The Requip Mage drew her sword and Natsu's fists came alight. Each member had an expression torn between concern and anger. They were all aware of what might have happened to Lucy if she was battling alone and they were all aware of what they'd do if they found her hurt.

The Dragon Slayer's head shot up. "I've got a trace of her scent up ahead!" He informed. Happy flew above their heads, covering his nose from the smoke in the area. There _had_ been a battle here.

When they burst into the clearing, where the source of the remaining smoke was, to their utter shock, all of the members lay unconscious on the ground as Capricorn and their Celestial Mage were tying them up. However, the girl's teammates were unaware of the person before them being a Spirit and proceeded to watch her in glee at her uninjured state. But they were also in shock. Major shock. The entire Guild had been defeated.

"W-What?!" Grey spluttered.

The double of their blonde-haired friend in front of them heard his voice and looked up at them, remembering who they were after a moment of blankly staring at them. "Took you long enough." She drawled. "Guess you're too late, we've already handled everything here," Gemini was smirking at them with that devilish hot smirk that only Lucy could pull off. The one that made men's knees go weak. Sometimes her fellow Nakama in the Guild were confused when her sex appeal didn't work in her favour, she was definitely one of the most popular girls in Fairy Tail among the male crowd. They snapped out of it as Mira stepped forward.

"L-Lucy, did you take them down all by yourself?!" she gasped.

Capricorn looked up at that, beaming with pride. "Lucy-sama fought well today." He said proudly. "But that Lucy in front of you isn't her." He smiled as they gaped at Gemini as the twins reformed back to their original state.

"I think we're done, Capricorn." The alien-like creatures chimed. "Bye!" they vanished back to the Spirit Realm and Capricorn rose to his feet.

"I'm sure you'd all like to do something with these Mages since your main task has already been completed." He said. "I'll leave you to it." He bowed politely before returning to his own realm as well.

"Lucy defeated them…" Grey said, staring at the Razor Fang members in complete awe alongside Mira and Erza. They were looking wide-eyed at the unconscious males which were tied together _incredibly__neatly._

"All by herself…" Mira began smiling at that, clasping her hands together. "She did all of this by herself! Our little Lucy's growing up so fast," she wiped a tear from her eyes, shaking her head.

Natsu was simply impressed rather than shocked. "Hey, Happy!" Natsu cheered, grinning up at his companion. "Lucy defeated them without us! That's awesome!" He burst out into laughter while the exceed just muttered an _"Aye sir…" _in surprise with his comrades.

Erza allowed a fond smile to settle on her lips. "Quite the achievement indeed…" she mused. "I think we'll defiantly have to congratulate her."

.

..

…

**A/N: Next chapter: Enter **_**Impressed!TeamNatsu**_**. Hurray for them, hurray for Lucy.**


	9. Everlasting Guilt in the face of Triumph

**A/N: 97 Follows and 53 Favs, what?! Almost 100 followers yay!**

**Thank you to****_Coolanime14_****and here's your update!****_QueenOfBlackCats11588_****, you're amazing, thank you! If this is the best thing in the world then I shall never stop updating! ;) thanks!****_Rizuki Dhan_****, thanks, I'm starting to get good at writing fighting scenes so if you like them, stick around since there's a lot of fight scenes to come!****_Bentears_*****joins happy dance alongside you* haha.****_Starfire_****, thaaaank youuuu, I have given you what you have asked for as best as I can! And I'm bringing the fallen star thing in on the next chapter, which will be on Friday, so you only have to wait a few days! And you're welcome, by the way.****_Fairy Flame Key_****, thank you and here you go!****_Blossom-channn_****, thank you and another thank you for telling me that! I think I remember reading an incorrect translation that said "Nakamara" and it must've stuck with me, but thanks for letting me know!****_Lilpumpkingirl_****, you'll have to see whether you guess is correct or not but I think you know what the answer is! ;) and you're welcome, I've always thought Lucy's magic would be better for bigger battles. And I'd rather have this story showing Lucy's growth of confidence and independence. Lastly to****_Rose's Shadow_****, thanks so much as well, and if you want, I'll update on upcoming Celestial events since they're (Constellations and whatnot) going to play a part in****_Falling Stars_****as well.**

**Everlasting Guilt in the face of Triumph**

Even though Gemini and Capricorn had done an outstanding job on tying up the members of Razor Fang, the group of Fairy Tail Mages had tied extra binds around the still unconscious men, as they'd been supplied with Magic-Blocking ropes which could cancel Magic being used by whoever was bound. After doing so, and talking in amazement about Lucy's success, they found their way out of the forest fortunately without getting lost. Once the wizards had emerged, they found were greeted by Loke leaning against the gate leading into Starlight, arms folded, gaze pointed at the ground.

"Loke!" Grey exclaimed in surprise at the Celestial Spirit. "What are you doing here?" He asked.

Loke straightened up, dusting down his suit. "I was waiting for you lot to arrive," He shrugged. "I'm guessing you've done something with the guys from Razor Fang?" He raised an eyebrow at Erza who nodded.

"We were supplied with Magic constricting binds." She explained, pulling her cart to a halt. "So even if they wake up before the Council members arrive, they won't be able to use any Magic to escape or get anywhere." She informed before smiling then. "Thank you for taking care of Lucy while we haven't been here," She said in a grateful tone. "We're in your debt." At her words, Loke let out a sour laugh which caused the Requip Mage's expression to change into one of confusion.

"I wish I could tell you I took extremely good care of her and that she's perfectly fine," He sighed, shaking his head. "There was this one Mage that kept having a thing of trying to attack her." His features showed anger as he recalled. "I should've killed that bastard." He let out an exasperated sigh and turned. "Follow me. I'll take you to where Lucy's been staying for the past couple of days." He beckoned for them to come forward, and they did.

Natsu walked to his side, almost seeming to glare at his Nakama as they walked side by side throughout Starlight. "Who was this guy?" He inquired.

The Lion glanced at the Dragon Slayer and then moved his gaze back to the street they were walking down. "I didn't catch his name or anything, but he could use his Magic to create explosions out of nothing." This caused everyone to exchange glances at the mention. Loke hadn't seemed to notice them, and continued. "He was relentless, trying to take her out. Last night…" he cringed at the memory. "Mavis, I should've killed him!"

"Is Lucy alright?" was Mira's question, her expression showing worry at her Nakama's anger.

Loke was unsure how to answer that, looking conflicted as he turned his attention to her. "For now, she is." He muttered.

Natsu's eyes seemed to narrow at this. "What did he do to Lucy?" He asked slowly, his tone dark.

Loke exhaled heavily and decided it'd be best to tell them rather than in front of his Key owner. "Lucy and Virgo were out last night," He began, recalling on what Virgo had told him when he'd visited her to check on her health. "Until late. Lucy had summoned Virgo for a few hours so her Magic Energy was naturally low. They were searching for Razor Fang's base in the woods for the entire afternoon and evening but couldn't find it anywhere." He pointed to the forest and Erza and Mira looked back towards it at his words, still listening intently, waiting for him to continue. "They were travelling back towards Starlight, where we are," he lifted his arms in the air to prove his point as he gestured around the town. "But they were ambushed and Virgo saved Lucy's life by sacrificing herself in the process. Luckily, all Celestial Spirits are immortal and Virgo was merely sent back to the Spirit Realm to heal, yet Lucy saw her get blown apart and was effected by that a lot." He shoved his hands in his pockets, kicking a pebble across the ground as he walked. "She was aware of her low Magic Energy but fought anyway and somehow managed to summon Taurus and Capricorn. I sensed she was in danger so I came to help, yet I wasn't there when she needed me most…" the Lion cursed at himself, roughly smashing the same, helpless pebble across the street in anger before he stopped, trying to compose himself. "And I call myself a loyal Lion…" he sneered bitterly.

The others stopped beside him, Mira resting her hand on her shoulder to comfort him. "You can't always be there to save people, whether they own your Gate Key or not, Loke." She reminded him gently. "I'm positive Lucy wouldn't blame you for anything, and she's fine now, right?" She squeezed his shoulder.

Loke offered a forced smile as they began walking again. "I still should've been there," He said, shaking his head. "If Horologium hadn't been in Automatic Danger Response Mode, we could've lost her, but he _was_ there in time to save her from another ambush while Taurus, Capricorn and I weren't by her side." At this, the others brightened up slightly. "But he was blasted apart while Lucy was inside him, and she was left alone with that bastard explosion-caster." Now the good mood had vanished once again. "I found her just in time…he had one hand holding her head in place by her hair…" Grey's face went pale as he realised what he meant a few moments before the others did. "…and another against her cheek…he was going to blow her head to pieces…" the Lion explained. "If I was a _second_ later I would've seen her die."

"Lucy…" Mira whispered sadly, looking distraught at the simple thought of what could've happened if the Celestial Spirit hadn't been there. Natsu looked like he was in deep thought, his features showing a seriousness as he too was thinking alike to the Take-Over Mage. He folded his arms, seeming to glare at the ground with fury boiling through his veins at this so-called Explosions Master. Erza and Grey exchanged a glance, though neither wanted to speak. They understood now that Lucy had not come from the battle with mere physical wounds. Happy looked distressed from his place in Mira's arms, cuddling closer to her for comfort.

"You've got to be careful around her, just for a bit." Loke murmured quietly, causing everyone to lift their heads. "She's been off ever since that whole ordeal happened…she's still got scarring where…" he lifted his own hand to his cheek so they understood what he had meant. Natsu and Grey were scowling at this.

"One of those bastards was him, then." The Ice Mage said. "Back with the other Razor Fang guys…" His eyes darkened as he thought of the damage done to his friend by the all-male Guild.

Loke nodded. "She's a bit jumpy, so don't go crushing her in any sudden hugs." He teased with a wink, causing a few faint smiles to form. "Ah, here we are." He looked to one of the guards posted in front of the castle who began to escort them inside while his friends gaped at the estate.

"Lucy's been staying in a friggin' _castle?!_" Natsu shouted, causing Mira and Erza to smack him in the head in unison, demanding for him to be quiet.

**LINE BREAK**

"She's probably still asleep," Loke warned as he gently pushed the door open. They quietly shuffled inside, noticing that he was correct, and she was still sleeping. She was resting on her side, facing her friends as they moved towards her bed, taking in her appearance. Both of her arms had been extensively wrapped again, to her Spirit's displeasure at the sight of her injury, and scars and burns still marred her cheeks, namely the left side of her face. A bandage had been placed over her forehead where the scarring could still be seen underneath the white. The blankets on her bed had been brought up to her waist, so the others couldn't see the extensive bruising and burns painting her legs. This was a stroke of luck, Loke mused, as her friends were already furious enough at her appearance. Their fury intensified as Lucy winced in her sleep, grasping her side. Her shirt shifted slightly, showing a glimpse of her bandaged torso. Natsu was clenching his fists, seeming to glare at every bit of bandaging, as Grey gritted his teeth, folding his arms as he tried to look everywhere but his injured comrade. Mira looked worried, even sad, while Erza remained serious, yet looked concerned. They said nothing, none of them knowing exactly what they could say besides declaring the murder of all Razor Fang members that fought against her. Lucy's pained expression seemed to fade as she nuzzled her face against her pillow, seeming more comfortable now that the pained had eased from her side. "Uh…do you guys wanna speak with her?" Loke asked after a while, feeling slightly uncomfortable at the group of five intensely staring in silence at the slumbering blonde. Erza looked up and nodded, agreeing on behalf of the rest of them. "Alright." He moved towards the bed, crouching down beside it so he was at eye level with his Key owner. He gently grasped her shoulder, shaking her. "Hey, Lucy," he said softly.

Lucy scrunched up her face, hiding it in her pillow. "Go away, Loke…I wanna sleep…" she responded, her voice muffled.

He chuckled at this. "If you sleep too much, you won't be able to sleep tonight~!" He sang.

"Well I'm tired and I was told that I'll heal faster if I sleep more." The Stellar Mage huffed.

Erza and Mira watched with fond smiles at this, while the boys simply smirked. They seemed happier now that she was awake. "Erza, Mira, Grey, Natsu and Happy want to see you." Loke sighed as a final attempt.

She lifted her head, rubbing at her eyes before opening them to look at her team mates waiting patiently at her bedside. Her cheeks flushed red at this and she quickly brought her hand up to her left cheek, hiding the scars that she wasn't aware they'd already seen. "Hey, why are you guys here?" she asked, looking confused.

"Master Makarov asked us to come," Mira answered. "We were sent to round up the members of that Dark Guild, but you finished the job before we could get a chance!" Her tone was teasing, but it was easy to see that she was exceptionally proud of the younger girl. "You took them all out by yourself, Lucy! That's amazing! I can't believe it!" She cheered, clapping her hands together, beaming with pride.

Lucy looked down at her lap, blushing at the compliment as her friends continued.

"Didn't know you had it in you, Lucy." Grey chuckled, patting her head in an affectionate way, grinning at her. "But yeah, that's pretty impressive. Wait till we tell everyone back at Fairy Tail about it." He lifted his hand and took a step back as Erza moved forward.

She instantly bowed at the younger Mage, much to everyone's surprise as she made a pained expression. "I apologize for ever doubting your abilities before, Lucy, you're much stronger than we've ever given you credit for!" the Weapon Mistress cried, causing Lucy to shift back a bit from the girl as she moved her intense gaze onto her. "Please punch me!" the red-haired woman begged.

"Uh…" the Celestial Mage looked to her friends for help, who simply shrugged with quizzical expressions. "I don't want to punch you, E-Erza…" she laughed quietly. "It's alright…" she was cut off as Erza leaned over the bed, face inches from hers.

"It's not alright, Lucy. This is a tremendous achievement and we're extremely proud of your efforts and I assure you Master Makarov will be as well." She nodded, straightening up again. "When we return to Magnolia, we're treating you to dinner. Maybe several." She stated before smiling. "I'm proud of you, Lucy."

Lucy had never received this much praise all her seventeen years of living, especially not all at once. She wasn't used to it at all, and could almost cry at her team mates being so proud of her, grinning at her, congratulating her like this. Natsu then sat down on the bed in the space she'd provided from jumping away from the scarlet-haired Mage, grinning at the blonde. "Awesome job!" he lifted his hand in the air, motioning for her to high-five it. Once she'd done so, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Can't believe you managed that, Luce, it's just…" he paused, searching for the right word. "…damn awesome, if anything!" He didn't really know how to explain how impressed he was, he'd never been good with words, that was for certain.

But Lucy knew what he meant and smiled. "Thanks guys," she said, bashfully looking away. Natsu's smile vanished though, when she dropped her hand and he had a better look at her wounded cheek. He brought his own hand up, leaning closer to inspect the burns marring the left side of her face. She noticed what he was doing and knew he'd get mad if she'd protested, but did so anyway. "I'm fine, Natsu," she sighed. "Its noth–" she halted her assurances with a wince. "Ah, Natsu, that hurts!" she hissed through her teeth as he ever so lightly grazed his fingertips over the marks.

He jolted and pulled his hand back, not meaning to harm her. "Sorry, Lucy." He muttered, abruptly jumping off of the bed and walking out of the room. Happy, who had been silent this entire time, followed after him. She looked slightly hurt as they left, the door swinging shut behind them.

"Did…did I do something wrong?" she asked softly.

Immediately her friends shook their heads, and Erza sat down where the Dragon Slayer had previously. "He just doesn't know how to react other than feeling guilty. He feels like he's to blame for your injuries, Lucy, that's all." The Requip Mage explained. "In fact, we all do. Although you brought down the Razor Fang members, I believe…" she exchanged knowing glances with her comrades. "…I believe we _all_ feel guilt for not arriving sooner. We might've had a chance at helping you, maybe allowing you to leave battle with less…" her words trailed off as she simply gestured to the heavy amounts of bandaging covering the younger girl's skin to prove her point.

"Oh…" was all Lucy could say. She looked away from her friends, stifling a yawn as she did so.

"Hey, it's fine, Lucy." Mira assured, moving to the other side of the patient's bed so she could gently embrace the girl. "I hope you realise when you're recovered, we're going to give you the biggest group hug ever and carry you back to the Guild on our shoulders." She said, winking.

The Stellar Mage laughed at that, but Erza simply raised an eyebrow. "Don't think we're joking, Lucy." She said with a chuckle. "Celebrations will defiantly be in order, don't worry. But for now, we'll let you get some rest." She patted the blonde's head and Mira unwrapped her arms from the girl. Grey slapped her hand in a high-five and Loke kissed her hand before they each left the room in a single file line. Snuggling back under the blankets, Lucy inhaled sharply as she grazed her side against the mattress, wincing. She shuffled around a bit, more carefully this time, leaning her head back against her pillow as she stared up at the ceiling above her.

_It was that moment that her gaze was caught by something ever so dim but eye catching. Like a soft orb of light, almost like a comet with a trail of stardust following behind it, she saw a star fall from the heavens. So small but ever so beautiful as time slowed down as it descended upon the earth. It glimmered shiningly and as it hit the ground that was when an overwhelming amount of energy coursed through her veins and her eyes rolled into the back of her head at the entirety of it._**_"Urano Metria!"_**

She needed to find that star, or whatever it was, no matter her injuries. Although Loke, Natsu and Erza would murder her if they caught her out of bed in her state. And then after that Mira and Grey would murder her ghost. Happy would probably mock the remains of her after that before asking for fish. Sighing in defeat, Lucy rubbed her eyes, contemplating on what she could do. Sleep would help make her mind clearer when she awoke, and maybe that's when she could really sort these things out. One thing she knew for certain was that she wasn't leaving the Kingdom of Constellar until she found that fallen star and retrieved it.

**LINE BREAK**

Closing the door behind him, as he was the last one out, Grey followed after his friends as they left the castle to find Natsu outside, Happy keeping quiet at his feet. Erza spoke up first, walking over to her childhood friend, resting a hand on his shoulder as he kept his gaze averted from meeting hers. "Natsu, don't beat yourself up about this." She said. "As much as any of us like to disagree, it wasn't our or your fault that Lucy is injured." The Requip Mage assured.

Natsu sighed, exasperated. "If we'd gotten here _sooner_, maybe we…we could've…" he let out a frustrated groan. "We're a team, after all…I…I shouldn't have left her behind…" He muttered. Erza turned back and shared a knowing look with Grey. _That's_what this was mainly about, the fact that Natsu and Happy had left without her and that was the main reason she'd had to take on this mission solo. If they'd listened to her, they would've gone with her on this mission and she would've had a less chance of getting hurt with Natsu's instincts to always protect her and his team mates from harm.

Erza squeezed his shoulder reassuringly. "She wouldn't blame you, Natsu." She assured. Natsu didn't respond, but Happy replied with a short _"Aye…"_Sending the conversation was over, the Take-Over Mage decided to speak.

"We might as well give Master a status report," Mira dug her hand into her bag and pulled out her Calling Card, pressing on it to activate it, hoping it'd break the tension between the group. Grey nodded in agreement while Erza moved away from her pink-haired comrade. "Hello?" Mira chimed. "Master Makarov, are you there?" she waited patiently for a few moments before the Guild Master responded, much to their delight.

"_Mira, how's the mission proceeding so far?"_ Makarov asked.

The white-haired Mage laughed softly before answering. "Absolutely perfect, Master." She giggled. "They're all tied up and I think the Council would have them all on a train headed far away from here." Grey nodded in agreement at her words.

"Really?" the Master was in shock and that's when Loke came forward.

"Lucy took them all down!" He said, suddenly seeming eager to boast about his Key Owner's achievement. The Lion reached forward and swiped the Calling Card from Mira's hand. "She was amazing, Gramps!" He cried, beaming with an overwhelming sense of pride for the blonde-haired Mage. "She had Gemini, Taurus, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Cancer and Capricorn out all at once and even though she had low Magic Energy, she took all of that Guild out in one shot!" He was grinning from ear to ear as he re-told the story. "The entire Guild at once! A single hit! It was amazing, you guys should've been there…" He said as Mira took the Card back.

"We can confirm that, Master," Mira giggled as Loke continued to go on about the fight in the background. "They were all unconscious before we got there. Erza's already planning the celebration cake she's going to buy for Lucy when we get back to Fairy Tail." She turned to look at the Requip Mage, who nodded, counting the number of strawberries she'd order on each finger.

_"Really?!"_ If they could've seen Makarov, they would've witnessed him staring at the Card in awe before responding.

"Yep, we were all there." Grey chimed in. "Damn, we didn't know she was capable of that." He shook his head. "The celebration party is gonna be huge, isn't it?" He laughed.

"She'll be rich for this." Makarov chuckled. "The Council had issued a high reward for their capture, and I bet she'll still get a hefty reward for completing such a job." He said. "We'll all be sure to express how proud we are," at this, the group cracked a few grins.

"You bet." Grey replied.

"Then I'll see you all back at the Guild sometime soon, then!" Makarov cheered. He said his goodbyes before Mira tucked the Calling Card away again.

"What about Lucy?" Happy suddenly piped up, still seeming saddened from Lucy's state. "Will she be good enough for all the train rides?" He asked. As Natsu turned slightly green, his team mates looked at each other, considering the answer to his question.

"That's right, we'll have to walk a bit in-between stops..." Grey murmured.

"Maybe we should allow her to recover a little more…" mumbled Mira thoughtfully. "We can wait a few days, right?" she glanced at Erza, asking for confirmation.

The Requip Mage nodded, folding her arms. "We'll wait as long as she needs. Even until she's fully recovered, if we have to. If she wants to leave beforehand, I'm sure we'll be there for her in case her injuries cause her any distress." Dusting off her hands, she turned back towards the entrance to the castle, where another escort was patiently waiting. "Shall we go back?" she asked the team.

Loke scratched the back of his neck. "If it's alright with you, I think you guys can take it from here." The Spirit said. "Look after her, alright?" with a parting wave, he disappeared in a rain of golden light, and the remaining members of the group disappeared back inside.

**LINE BREAK**

Lucy sucked in a breath through her teeth, grasping Laura's hand as she helped the girl from her bed and to her feet. "Ugh…" she groaned, her features strained as pain shot through her bones. "I don't remember them hurting this much…" she gave the nurse a grateful look as she was gifted with a pair of crutches to aid her walking.

"They'll mend faster if you start using them," Laura informed as she gestured to her legs, slowly walking beside the Stellar Mage, a hand on her back to help her along. "You didn't even take a break, did you, dear?" She scolded softly as she steered the girl from the room and down the halls. "You should've rested a bit before charging out there again. Two days in a row that gentlemen of yours had to carry you in while you were unconscious." She shook her head and sighed as Lucy kept her gaze focused on what was ahead of her, yet struggle was clear in her movements.

Natsu was leading the group back towards the room when they stopped short, seeing Lucy limp past them with the nurse by her side. They hadn't noticed them, simply continuing to walk. After exchanging confused glances, Grey quietly asked the escort where they were headed. "Miss Heartfilia's bones will mend faster if she is active." He informed sniffily. "I shall take you to where they are headed." With a nod, they began following after the women, who continued to talk, oblivious.

"How long do you think it'll be till I can move properly again?" Lucy asked with a wince.

Laura sighed. "I'm not sure, dear. But I'd recommend you stay away from fire or any heat what so ever."

At this, Lucy and Natsu both stopped short. "Fire?" she repeated quietly.

Laura nodded slowly. "According to your friend, you were almost killed because of those explosions and you were severely burned. You seemed quite traumatised while we were tending to you…" at this, Lucy scoffed and began walking again.

"It was a near-death experience, I was a little shaken up." She said. "I'm not going to develop an irrational fear of fire or anything." She assured. At this, Natsu let out a silent sigh of relief.

Laura didn't look convinced. "Whatever you say, Miss Heartfilia." She shrugged.

The group followed them as Laura led Lucy, who was struggling with the effort, onto a large balcony, decked out with cushioned loveseats and chairs. The seventeen-year-old was helped to rest in one of the chairs as Laura fluffed the cushions for her to lean back against. "Thank you, Laura." Lucy said with gratefulness. The woman simply nodded and noticed her fellow colleague bring her patient's friends onto the balcony as well. Lucy brightened up at the sight of them. "Hey guys!" she greeted cheerily, determined to make it seem like she wasn't in agonising pain at that current moment. Erza and Mira took a seat either side of her while the boys retreated to the loveseat directly across from them. Laura and the group's escort moved away to have their own conversation and allow them privacy, the nurse taking the blonde's crutches for her as they were seated.

"How are you feeling?" Mira inquired, resting a hand on the younger girl's shoulder comfortingly.

Lucy smiled faintly. "I'm fine," she said. "Just a bit bruised and…_burned_ I guess…but I'll be fine. I _am_ fine." Her assurances seemed slightly rehearsed and her words rolling off her tongue a bit too quickly. She averted her gaze, pretending as if her friends were staring at her with the most concerned looks she'd ever seen. "I've been given pills…_so_many pills as pain relievers, you have no idea." She giggled, trying to lighten the mood. "I haven't taken many yet, though. All in moderation, I guess. But anyway, how are you guys? Bet Natsu didn't enjoy the six hour journey," her tone was teasing as she smiled at him, but he looked away, causing hurt to flash briefly in her eyes.

Grey and Erza glared at the Dragon Slayer for this, while Mira hugged her gently. "I really _am_ fine, Natsu…" she said in a small, quiet voice. He scoffed at this, causing Erza to rise from her seat.

"Natsu…" she warned. "I won't have you disrespecting our Nakama and hurting her feelings in front of me!" She lifted her hand and summoned a sword by her side, causing Lucy to shoot forward far too quickly.

"Erza-" her sentence was stopped short as she let out a sharp cry of pain, clutching her side as she dropped to her knees.

"Lucy!" Happy, Mira and Grey rushed to her aid, pulling her up again as she grimaced. Laura heard the cry and ran towards her patient herself, gently easing the girl to her feet.

"I said not to overwork yourself, Lucy," she scolded, but Lucy couldn't hear her. Tears were in her eyes and that's when her friends realised how truly great she had been at masking her pain from them. Natsu and Erza were watching, looking horrified as the Stellar Mage fell down again, letting out shaky breaths in agony. "Jerome!" Laura called to the escort who nodded and the two worked to bring her to her feet once more. The group of Fairy Tail Mages stood back, simply watching as if they'd been frozen. "Can you stand, Lucy?" the nurse asked.

Lucy shook her head and let out a weak _"No."_which followed by a short sob. Jerome carefully lifted her, acting as if she were made of porcelain as he rested her back onto the loveseat. Laura dug her hand into her pocket and pulled out a bottle of medication for her patient. She pressed a few pills into Lucy's hand, who quickly swallowed them, barely hearing the reassurances of the woman as she spoke.

"The pain relievers will kick in soon," she promised. "Do you need to go back to bed?" she rubbed the blonde's back as she shook her head. "We'll just give you some space to breathe for a bit." She and Jerome moved the Mages further down the expanse of the balcony, giving Lucy a few moments to compose herself as her shoulders trembled.

Once they were out of earshot from the girl, Erza spoke up. "How bad is her condition?" she asked. "Truly? As her close friends, I assure you we'd rather not receive a sugar-coated response." She said. Laura sighed, looking at the shaking girl before tuning her attention back to the Requip Mage.

"She'll need a few days at the very least to recover. Having sudden movements like that are bad for her health, as you've just seen." Laura sighed, massaging her temple. "She's great at masking pain, she seems to not want you to worry, but she's been in agony ever since she arrived. That well-dressed friend of hers said she was thrown against a number of trees and slammed against the ground from the force of many explosion-based attacks. I'm surprised she hadn't broken anything, but she's defiantly in pain. If she starts taking her medication, I predict she'll be able to travel after she rests for a bit more. Her recovery rates are quite quick though, I assure you. She'll be fine pretty quickly." At her words, the Stellar Mage's friends brightened up slightly.

"So she'll be fine in a few days?" Grey checked. Laura nodded and everyone sighed in relief. She spared a glance to the Celestial Wizard and moved back towards her, noticing she had calmed down.

"Sorry about that," were the first words she blurted out as they came near.

"It's okay," Mira assured. "Nothing's your fault, Lucy. But maybe you should get back to bed. Rest is essential for recovery, you know." She said with a wink that cheered Lucy up slightly.

"Yeah, I guess." She let out a soft sigh. "Can…can you help me up?" she looked ashamed of asking, but Mira simply smiled.

"Of course I can, Lucy!" she grasped Lucy's hands, happy that the medication had kicked in as this time no pain was shown in her features.

"I'll probably be able to walk again tomorrow if all the medication is as good as this." She joked, gratefully accepting the crutches from the nurse.

"You're welcome to stay in the room across the hall from Miss Heartfilia's." Jerome said to the Mages. "The King and Queen have allowed it." He beckoned them to follow him as Lucy and Laura moved ahead of them.

**LINE BREAK**

As soon as they were left alone in a large room stacked with a large double bed for each of them, Mira, Happy and Grey looked around, observing the room in awe. Erza allowed herself a moment to do the same before she moved, slamming her armoured fist into Natsu's face and sending him flying into the wall, causing the paintings to rattle at the impact. She marched over to him, grabbed the front of his vest with both hands, and smacked him against the carpet before tossing him against another wall.

"Erza, what are you doing?" Mira demanded as Happy cried out Natsu's name, rushing to his aid.

"Don't help him up." The Weapon Mistress commanded, causing the exceed to shrink back in fear. "You really think I'll just let you treat Lucy like that?" Her eyes darkened tremendously as she glared at the Dragon Slayer. "Of all people, I expect you to be the _last_ to ignore her when she's speaking to you, Natsu. Is _that_ how we treat our Nakama now?!" This time, Grey held Mira back from doing anything, reminding her that he deserved it as Natsu was flung across the room once again. "She's hurt, you bastard! She pushed herself for your expense! She was crying because of the pain she was in, but she was hiding it from us so she wouldn't worry us, especially you!" Erza was ready to completely lose it when Natsu sat up, coughing and wheezing.

"I'm sorry, okay?" he cried. "I just…I don't know how to react to this! I know I'm being an ass, you don't have to tell me!" He snapped.

The Titania took a slow, deep breath to calm herself. "Fine." She hissed. "You're lucky that Lucy's sleeping across the hallway and that we are guests here or I would've thrown you through the wall. You're going to apologize to Lucy tomorrow for everything from leaving her behind to your actions today, and that is an _order._" She commanded. Happy shivered at her tone. With a firm nod to dismiss the conversation, each member of the group retreated to their own bed, except for Happy, who simply shared with the pink-haired eighteen-year-old.

A silence ensured then as they stared up at the ceiling, each of them lost in their own thoughts that always seemed to drift back to their blonde-haired friend.

.

..

…

**A/N: These chapters are starting to get longer the more we go along. That's like three chapters in a row with over five thousand words, yay!**


	10. The Secrets Stardust Hold

**A/N: Over a hundred follows, yay! Fun fact about this week: School started again but we only came back on Wednesday and Thursday since the last day of our Easter Break was Tuesday and because Friday (today) is also a holiday. Also, did anyone see the Lyrdis Meteor Shower? Unfortunately I missed it since I was sent to bed early for the sake of awakening early for the beloved thing they call "High School" but if you****_did_**__**see it, tell me how it was, please! Fun Fact: On the 29th, which is next Tuesday, we get a Solar Eclipse! You'll need to purchase special glasses to look at it though, but DO NOT look at the sun with just sunglasses, you need to proper Solar Eclipse viewing ones. Where I live, the Council sends everyone a few pairs in the mailbox but I'm sure you can find some somewhere. Apparently "The path of the Eclipse will begin off the coast of South Africa and move across Antarctica and into the east coast of Australia." So I hope you enjoy it!**

**Thank you,****_FairyDemonDust_****, I really appreciate it and I'm happy you like it so far! Thanks for commenting****_Dark Shining Light_****, I'm glad you're enjoying it! If Lucy was scared of fire, it would probably crush him, I agree, but I guess everyone will have to wait and see what happens when they return, which is soon! I don't really think I can separate the paragraphs more than they already are, unless you're reading on a mobile device. On a computer, I think they're pretty decently separated, but sorry for an inconvenience and thanks! Thank you to****_Demonmiko14_****as well!****_Coolanime14_****thank you! I think one of the main focuses I like in fanfics are to keep characters****_in character_****. I'd glad you like my writing so much, thanks! ;)****_Bentears_****, the reward and the party will be awesome, I promise! Thanks****_Woobaby_****, and NaLu is my fave pairing as well. I'll elaborate more on the Fallen Star soon, because the whole story is going to revolve around it, hence the title, which also has a lot to do with future scenes. Thank you****_Rose's Shadow_****and I'll continue to update of the Celestial occurrences in the future.****_xXxSatasixXx,_****thank you so much! *Cheers in celebration for reviewers saying I'm keeping characters in character successfully*. I'd like to gush and go on about how grateful I am for everything you said but just a million times, thank you! I think everyone is so powerful because of their friends like Lucy and her Spirits. Loke said that love is what gives them power, after all! Thank you, I really hope some more people come to read it like you said, but I love everyone who's reading so far and how supportive everyone is! 3**

**Finally, to starfire…*Slams fists on table and glares at you over the internet* I demand you get an account so we can PM each other and become best friends this INSTANT. *Hugs you back and spins you around as well for being amazing* Even though I don't eat cheesecake, I will eat every single one you buy for me! I love that fact that you always say how amazing each chapter is, you have no idea how much you can brighten up my day by making up words for me! Thank you! *Hugs you and kisses you back* You're welcome, since I'm obviously going to reply to every review, especially yours. I hope no one interrupts you, because then you'd be in jail and you couldn't read the updates! I****_will_****continue to make long chapters, don't worry! I'll also continue to tell people when I update. I'm starting to update on Monday's now as well…ahh. Good luck on your exams, by the way! And I was actually planning on putting some of the stuff you suggested before you reviewed, but I tried to add as much stuff as you suggested because I guessed you wanted to read that happening! AND THERE****_WILL_****BE ROMANCE. THERE****_SHALL_****BE NALU. Just not yet, like it'll be a****_gradual_****build up instead of instant make-out sessions. I kinda want them to slowly realise their feelings for each other before everyone in the Guild basically force him to ask her out. I liked Erza's reaction too. Thank you for everything! Last thing, I'm part of the female population on Earthland, since you wanted to know.**

**The Secrets Stardust Hold**

Erza was out like a light.

Literally. Grey, Mira, Erza and Happy were chattering away for a few minutes, Natsu sulking in the corner, and they turned away for a moment, looking to Erza for her opinion on whatever they were conversing about, and she was asleep. Out cold. Under the covers, laying on her side, eyes closed, and lips parted slightly as she breathed slowly and deeply.

"Geez, that was quick." Grey said, scratching his head. "Forbid the day we ever have a sleeping contest at the Guild." He chuckled.

Mira giggled. "We've certainly had a lot of strange competitions over the years." She said.

"Aye!" supplied Happy. "Like that sun tanning contest!" he looked up at the ceiling, reminiscing on a hot summer's day two years back when everyone was so bored they'd agreed to the stupidest ideas for the sake of entertainment and their own amusement.

"How many people got sunburnt that day?" the Take-Over Mage asked, shaking her head. "I lost count, but I think about three quarters of the Guild turned up completely red the next day." She recalled as they shared a laugh. "Trust Cana to come up with an idea like that."

Happy grinned. "Didn't she end up winning?" he looked to Grey for confirmation.

"Yeah, but I didn't really care because I had to give everyone ice because their skin was burning." He muttered, rolling his eyes. "And ever since that day and that drinking game from the summer after, Gramps made a rule to never try out Cana's ideas when she's _really_ under the influence." He reminded.

"That rule has saved many trips to Magnolia's Base Hospital." Mira agreed, stifling a yawn. "I guess we should get some rest too." She said for afterthought. Once the guys agreed, she clicked the lights off, casting the group in darkness. "Goodnight, guys!" she cheered, moving back over to her own bed, crawling under the covers.

"Night!" Happy and Grey called back. Natsu remained silent, staring at the ceiling, having not moved once from his spot the entire evening, except for when he got changed for bed.

Happy flew over to him, nudging him as he alerted the pink-haired Mage it was time for rest. Humming a half-hearted response, Natsu pulled the blankets up to his chest as he leaned back in the bed, his blue companion soon slumbering beside him. Absentmindedly patting his fur before folding his hands behind his head, dark eyes had closed, yet sleep was not within grasp.

Travelling for such a long amount of time with his motion sickness certainly took a toll on the teenager and he was defiantly tired…though he tossed and turned in the sheets unable to fall into slumber as an hour had passed and all of his comrades had achieved the state of rest he soon began to beg for. Frustration soon settled in as another sixty minutes passed and he began to envy the ones surrounding him. Rubbing at his eyes, a groan escaped his lips as he tried to forget the sight of Lucy's pained expression a mere few hours ago, the image having been lingering in the back of his mind the entire afternoon. During most of that time, his Nakama had kept telling him the same thing that he'd been telling himself for hours. _You need to apologize._Even without Erza's threats, even if the Weapon Mistress hadn't told him to do so, he knew he was going to. Lucy hadn't deserved for him to treat her poorly, nor had she deserved the pain she had gone through at his expense to protect him from the Titania's growing wrath. Guilt plagued his being and encased him like a second skin that he couldn't shed. _It's the middle of the night, but I can't just barge in there and wake her up like this._Natsu told himself, slightly exasperated. _Who cares if I can't sleep? I probably deserve this. I need to apologize to her, dammit._He kicked back the covers in anger, folding his arms. _But she's asleep. And I can't sleep. Ugh, what the hell am I doing?_

His legs were working before he realised it, moving him towards the door as his mind remained focused on his internal debate. Eyes widened in surprise as he found himself in front of the exit to the room. Sighing, deciding he couldn't wait any longer, the pink-haired teenager moved. His hand grasped the cool, smooth metal of the handle and he gently twisted it, quietly pushing the door open and closing it behind him as he left the room. His footsteps were quiet, uncharacteristically so for the Dragon Slayer, as he'd heard Erza mention how he stomped around loudly sometimes at the Guild when going to fight Grey. He crept along the hall until he reached the room where his best friend was residing in, with the most possible scenario having her fast asleep. He hesitated for a moment, his fingertips brushing against the wood of the door ever so lightly. _Why are you acting nervous, idiot? Grow up and apologize already._He gritted his teeth, he eased the door open, stepping into the room, leaving it open a crack this time as he moved to Lucy's bedside. A sliver of light from the hallway peeked its way in behind him, yet he blocked it from reaching his friend as he took a seat in the chair beside her bed. Now that he was finally here, Natsu wasn't sure as to what he could do. He couldn't have waiting until morning to apologize, that was for certain. The guilt wouldn't have allowed him to rest. His instincts had always told him that he needed to protect his Nakama, especially Lucy, yet here she was. She was in pain because he had not here and because he was being an asshole to her at the current moment. His excuse was strange to him. Anger was the first emotion, an almost default reaction that he'd feel whenever seeing someone as close to him as her injured. But guilt had soon taken over, stopping him from having an outburst like he had in the past in an occasion like this. Gritting his teeth once again, he curled his hands into fists on his knees. _You can't just wake her, apologize and then leave, idiot._ His own voice whispered inside his mind.

That was when Natsu then noticed he was staring at her face, examining her features as he'd done more times than he'd like to admit over the past year he'd known her. He'd started doing it unconsciously soon after he'd met her when sneaking into her house at night or waiting for her to wake up for a mission in the mornings where he'd gotten up before her. If the Dragon Slayer had a talent for art, he was sure he could paint a perfect portrait of her face from the amount of times he'd looked at it, he'd committed each feature to memory. From the ways her lips formed a soft pout in her sleep to the way her lashes would flutter and dust her cheeks. There had been so many nights he'd just catch himself gazing at his best friend before he'd feel like he was becoming perverted like his rival who had that tendency of his to strip at the most inappropriate of times. Breaking from his thoughts, he realised she'd turned over in her sleep, now laying on her side, facing him. From the illumination the moonlight provided, he caught sight of the scarring on her cheeks and let out a slow, heavy sigh. "Damn…" he cursed quietly, grumbling under his breath, a hand grasping at Igneel's scarf. "Lucy…I'm sorry…for everything…" he scooted closer to her bed, sighing. "Y'know, for being a jerk and whatever. You didn't deserve that. It's just…" he couldn't grasp hold of the correct words to say, making a strained expression as he tried to piece together the apology she deserved. "Why do I suck at saying stuff like this?" he demanded, turning his head, looking about the room to aid him in his quest.

He was so focused on trying to find the right words that he hadn't realised he'd woken her up as he mumbled under his breath and she'd heard everything he'd just said. She looked at him with a fond smile gracing her features as he continued to mutter quietly to himself.

"Natsu…" she giggled softly at his childlike mumblings until he suddenly reached up to quieten her.

"Ssh, Lucy." Natsu pressed a finger to her lips without looking at her, silencing the blonde. "Shut up for a sec, 'kay? I'm trying to tell you something…" He continued looking at the wall, hoping that the words would seep through the wallpaper and into his mind, yet he had no such luck. Then the eighteen-year-old paused and slowly, ever so slowly, turned his head. Their eyes met, hers reflecting the moonlight like a dark shade of caramel, his sparkling like the sky at midnight, ebony but filled with twinkling stars. He retracted his hand back and a soft red dusted his cheeks, and this was the barely ever embarrassed Natsu Dragneel. "Sorry." He said sheepishly before mentally scolding himself. "Well I was gonna say sorry before but sorry. For before. And now too, I guess. And for leaving you like last week. For everything." His fingers twitched to slap himself in the forehead for how stupid he was looking in front of her, but she only giggled in response.

"Couldn't have waited till morning?" she teased, causing him to crack a grin.

"Couldn't sleep." He replied, shrugging as if the answer was obvious. "I felt bad."

It was Lucy's turn to blush now, but she hoped he couldn't see it and that the darkness of the room obscured the red. "Thanks, Natsu." She whispered. "I understand, but you don't need to feel guilty or anything-" this time, he pinched her lips shut, shaking his head.

"If I'd come sooner, you wouldn't be here." He argued, eyes narrowing. "You'd be sleeping next door with the rest of us, not stuck in a hospital bed wrapped up and shit." He gestured angrily to her bandaged arms with his free hand. Her eyes softened as he dropped his hand, allowing her to speak once again.

"I don't blame you, so stop blaming yourself, weirdo." She said, lightly slapping his shoulder as she sat up to properly face him. "I heard everything you just said, and I promise you, I'm fine. But thank you." She reached out and lightly patted one of his fists, her bandaged hand gently unwrapping his tight grip on air.

"I meant it, though." He said as he unclenched his fists, the tension leaving his muscles as he sighed in relief at seeing her smile. "I'm sorry, Lucy." He lifted his head, gaze moving over the scars marring her cheeks.

"It's fine." She assured, retracting her hand.

He smiled at that, stifling a yawn, finally able to rest as the guilt had simmered down in his heart. _She doesn't blame me. _"I…I should probably let you get back to sleep…" he muttered, rubbing his eyes, reminding Lucy of seeing little Romeo do that recently when Macao had brought him to visit.

"You should get some sleep, too, Natsu." She said, noticing the sudden fatigue washing over her Nakama. He nodded in agreement, and then there was a moment of silence between them.

Then Natsu looked at her with a hopeful, sheepish smile, and she knew what he was about to ask. Sighing, she shuffled over, creating space for him in the bed. Rolling her eyes, she tilted her head, letting out an exasperated sigh. "Get in." she said. He defiantly didn't need to be told twice, eagerly crawling underneath the sheets alongside her. Pulling the blankets up to their chests, Lucy snuggled beneath them, closing her eyes, a comfortable, content smile gracing her features at the added warmth. That was the second time that night the Dragon Slayer caught himself staring at his closest friend before he fell asleep as well, close beside her.

**LINE BREAK**

The sun soon rose in the Kingdom of Constellar, and Erza was the first to awake. Stretching her muscles, which were stiff from sleep, was a pleasant feeling, yet as she scanned the room that feeling seemed to vanish as she realised one of her childhood friends was missing from his bed. It was a strange sight for Natsu to ever be seen up early unless she had dragged him from his house and to the Guild for a morning mission or if Lucy had convinced him to get up. The worry soon faded as she realised where he must have been, with Lucy. There would have been nowhere else he would've gone, and it was known throughout most of Fairy Tail of Natsu's tendency to break into the Celestial Wizard's house because Happy had once mentioned that the Dragon Slayer had more peaceful rests when at her house. This caused to questioning the exceed further, pressuring him into asking for more details, but he simply said that's all Natsu spoke of when he visited. Either how comfy the home was, how good Lucy's cooking was or how he could sleep easier there. Smiling at the memory, Erza slipped from the comfort of her sheets and headed towards the bathroom to shower briefly before she would await her friends' awakening.

Across the hall, Natsu and Lucy were still asleep, resting peacefully. Sunlight slowly made its way into the room, the rays dancing across Lucy's eyes, causing her to scrunch up her face at the sudden brightness as her eyes slowly, reluctantly opened. Letting out a soft yawn, she soon became aware of the warmth that the Dragon Slayer had provided her with the night before had gotten exceptionally warmer…or _closer_.

As she had slept on her back, he'd slept on his front, their heads both turned, facing each other's, she realised. His left arm had tucked itself underneath his pillow and he had draped his other over her abdomen, his hand resting curled around her side. As she breathed, his fingers would graze against her ribcage and she noticed how close his face was from hers, mere inches that caused her cheeks to heat up involuntarily. Each rise of his chest was slow and deep, his breath hitting her face as she somehow couldn't tear her eyes away from the pink-haired idiot sleeping beside her. She recalled once watching him during a brawl at Fairy Tail as he had fallen unconscious, and her crouching over him, realising how cute he seemed. _Natsu can be cute when he sleeps._Were her exact thoughts, and many months later, she realised that it was still true. Then she came back into reality and realised she was staring at _Natsu Dragneel_ of all people in all of Earthland and she was thinking about how _adorable_ he looked. Alarmed, the brown-eyed girl tried to shift back to create some distance between them, but her plan backfired when her partner moved his arm and pulled her closer in his subconscious, and her face came into contact with his scarf. A soft, startled shriek left her lips at the sudden action, but he didn't seem to hear her, even with his Dragon Slayer senses. She tried to say his name to catch his attention, but her voice was muffled as from being buried in his scarf. She reached a hand up and shook his shoulder, easing her head back from the muffler. "Natsu, hey, Natsu." She shook him again. "Natsu, you're crushing me~!" she whined as his hold had suddenly gotten tighter.

His eyes slowly opened and he blinked a few times, adjusting to the sudden light in the room. Then he looked down and noticed he was practically holding the poor girl in captivity in his arms, squeezing the life out of her. Her cheeks were burning as he stared down at her for a few moments, completely silent as he was processing the situation carefully. His memories came back from the night before…when he'd apologized and his eyes suddenly widened in surprise. Natsu cursed as he remembered that she was injured, and he was almost crushing her. He began scrambling backwards away in fear of harming the blonde, yet his body became tangled in the sheets and he fell off of the bed and onto the floor, cocooned in white. He hit the ground with a thud and groan, trying to escape, flailing around.

"Natsu!" the colour had faded from Lucy's cheeks as she looked over the edge of the cot and saw him rolling around helplessly against the carpet, unable to do anything else to free his limbs.

"I can't get out~!" he wailed, somehow managing to slam himself face-first against the wall with a muffled yelp of pain. The Stellar Mage couldn't help but laugh, getting out of the bed to come to his aid, when she suddenly stopped. She was walking perfectly fine, and she no longer felt pain anywhere on her body. She looked down at her body in awe, noticing that while she had slept, someone had carefully taken off all of the bandaging, and yet no scars or bruises were visible. Miraculously, all of her injuries had vanished. She didn't stare in wonder for too long as the weirdo she called her closest friend looked like he needed help badly. "Lucy, help me~!" he shrieked as he turned his body around and around, rendered powerless by a cluster of blankets. It was an amusing sight to see him in such a panicked state over such a small thing, but she simply giggled and moved forwards.

"Calm down, Natsu, sheesh." She crouched down beside him, commanding him to stop moving before she gently rolled him across the floor, untangling the bed sheets from his body as she did so.

"That was a nightmare," he sighed in exaggeration as he was finally free, panting. Once he had composed himself, he looked to her in surprise. "Hey, you're okay!" he gasped. Lucy nodded, looking down at herself once again.

"Yeah, I have no idea how this happened." She shrugged. "But how did you get taken down by a _sheet_of all things? The almighty Natsu Dragneel, huh?" she burst into laughter as he pouted, folding his arms.

"It was more than _one_, actually." He muttered under his breath. She giggled softly, shaking her head as the door opened.

"I thought I heard a bit of screaming." A small but very familiar voice spoke up, causing the Dragon Slayer and Celestial Mage to turn towards it in confusion.

_"Wendy?"_they both cried in unison.

The blue-haired girl laughed at their reaction, skipping into the room cheerfully. "I got here a little while ago, Mira said you were really hurt so I came all this way!" she rose her arms in the air as if describing the length of the journey. "I think I healed everything…" she tilted her head to the side, examining the elder girl who simply smiled.

"I'm perfect, thank you so much, Wendy." She brought the girl into a long hug. "You came all this way by yourself?" she asked in awe.

Wendy merely shrugged. "Mira said you did, too." She giggled. "But it's a good thing you're fine now! I promise I didn't leave any scars!" at her words, Lucy brought a hand up to her face and felt for the marks that had been there a few hours ago.

"I defiantly owe you big time, then." She smiled.

Their reunion was cut short as Jerome, the man from the day before, came in, carrying in a pile of clothing, including the kimono Lucy had worn when first meeting with the Queen of Constellar. "The King and Queen have requested for you to join them for breakfast." He informed, placing the clothes in Lucy's arms. "I will escort you to the dining hall once you have dressed." With a curt nod, he exited the room, shutting the door behind them. Wendy and Lucy turned to Natsu in sync, their expressions blank.

"Out." They ordered. Sighing in exasperation, he stomped out of the room, his clothes bundled under his arm.

**LINE BREAK**

Once everyone had changed into their respective attire, they followed Jerome towards the dining hall, chattering to each other. Everyone was overjoyed at the sight of Lucy completely healed, yet they were going to give her the massive group hug of celebration after they were _outside_ of the castle. Grey and Natsu had been cracking jokes about speaking formally, but once they'd entered the grand dining hall, they realised how indeed classy they would have to act. The blonde-haired girl in the group had to nudge the Dragon Slayer to stop him from staring at all of the chandeliers towering over them. "Everyone, be formal." She whispered to her friends, who nodded in understand. Then, straightening her posture and lifting her head, she met with the King and Queen. "Good morning to you both, Your Majesties." She said, immediately adopting her formal tongue. "I believe I have not had to honour of becoming acquainted with you, Your Highness." She bowed low to the King, who smiled, along with his Queen, at the elegance this young Mage had, even with the rumours of Fairy Tail's not so great reputation when coming to manners.

"I am King Harold of Constellar, and you must be the Lucy Heartfilia I have heard so much about." He said. Lucy smiled bashfully as she straightened up again.

"Yes. I cannot express my gratitude towards you both for the excellent hospitality and treatment I have been blessed with here." She said.

The Queen shook her head. "It has been the least we can do." She smiled. "Your achievements here have protected our Kingdom, we cannot thank you enough." Then she looked towards the Mages who stared at Lucy like they'd never seen her before, as they'd never heard anyone speak the way she was currently before.

"They are all my close friends and Nakama from the Fairy Tail Guild in Fiore." Lucy introduced, gesturing to her friends. "This is Happy, Erza Scarlet, Grey Fullbuster, Mirajane Strauss, Wendy Marvell and Natsu Dragneel." A look of confusion crossed her features at Carla's absence but she merely ignored it.

"You seem to care for each other very much." King Harold said.

"You could say we've all been through a lot together." Mira responded.

The King and Queen nodded, understanding. "Well, I'm sure you can tell us some of your adventures." They gestured for the group to sit down as the butlers brought out a grand feast, making Natsu and Happy's mouths water. As the food was set down, they immediately tucked in, savouring delicacies that they'd never even heard of before. Erza and Mira shared stories of their various S-Class missions and Lucy and Natsu retold the story of the adventure they'd just recently returned from, which was their time in Edolas. Grey created a cluster of small snowflakes to float around the room at the Queen's request and Happy showed off his wings. Their conversations flowed naturally, easily, and they'd forgotten a few times that they were in the presence of a Royal Family, not just regular people. After a while, the dishes were cleared away and everyone rose from their seats. Then, Lucy had remembered something from the flyer that had gained her attention.

"Excuse me, Your Majesties." She said. "I was wondering on why I was requested to stay in Starlight for eight days after completing the task." She also wondered about the reward, but that was for later.

"We had made an assumption that these Dark Mages would be more dangerous than we thought, so we had written that in hopes it would show anyone who would take the job that they'd stay longer than previously believed." The King answered. "I apologize for misleading you." He said.

Lucy was about to assure him it was fine when Jerome entered, quickly striding towards her and placing large, heavy bag in her arms. "W-What's this?" she asked, struggling with the weight of it.

"We are in your debt, Miss Heartfilia." King Harold said as he and his Queen smiled at her. "We cannot repay you enough for avenging the many deaths of our men, but we hope that this sum of reward money will tide you over for some time." He said.

Lucy chuckled at the weight of it, looking amused, as if it was a joke. "H-How much is this?" she asked. However, when the King answered, she felt strangely light-headed at the large amount and Erza had to catch her elbow in order to steady her. "T-Thank you…" she stuttered, in awe as countless numbers swirled around in her head.

"We apologize that we mentioned a rare Celestial Key that we no longer hold in our possession." Queen Angelica added sorrowfully. "It seems to have vanished abruptly." She sighed. "

That's fine." Lucy said, swaying slightly as Erza took the bag from her. "We will take our leave now. Thank you for your hospitality." She smiled.

The Queen shook her head and stepped forward. "Don't let the darkness consume you, Lucy Heartfilia." Angelica said, pressing her hand over the girl's heart, the sudden action causing her, alongside everyone else besides her husband to stare at the Queen in confusion. "Even though I am not a Mage myself, I can sense great power within you. The ground you walk upon holds remains of Celestial Magic long forgotten, yet not all of it is for the side of the angels." Her features softened. "You have a pure soul, my dear. Don't let it become tainted. Just remember that the brightest stars burn out the fastest." With that, she pulled her hand back and straightened up again. "Safe travels, Fairy Tail." She said.

Lucy smiled, bowing lowly before she took her leave, following her friends out as they were escorted from the castle after collecting their belongings and changing back into their regular attire.

Erza continued to carry the bag, as the weight was too much for the Stellar Mage. It was strange, as if something else had been placed inside the bag along with the reward, but the Titania shook it off.

"What the hell was all that about?" Natsu asked, folding his hands behind his head as they walked throughout the town, towards the exit and into the woods.

Lucy shrugged. "I'm unaware myself, Natsu." She said simply. "I believe the Queen is just warning us that there will be troubles ahead." She straightened her posture slightly as she moved to walk beside the Dragon Slayer.

"Why are you still talking all fancy?" Grey then inquired. At this, Lucy giggled. "You see, you must use formal speech when addressing one of the Royal Family, Sir Fullbuster." She said, causing him to crack a grin as she continued. "For me, as I was raised with proper speech for use at family banquets, it is enjoyable to revert back to a manner of speaking such as this." She chuckled.

"You sound so classy, Lucy," Mira giggled. "You're speaking like that for the rest of the day, no exceptions," she quickly decided. Lucy nodded, agreeing.

"If this is what you wish, dear Lady Mira." Lucy jokingly bowed to her.

The group was able to stay "formal" for exactly two more seconds before all of them burst into uncontrollable laughter. They had to take a few moments to compose themselves before they began journey again. Though as the group travelled back through the woods, Lucy suddenly stopped short, causing her friends to stop alongside her. The light…the fallen star…she had forgotten all about it until this very moment. It had been the reason for her to complete this quest, and she was certainly not going to leave without it. Ignoring her friends calling her name in confusion, she looked around the area.

Lucy felt as if it was _calling_her, teasing her to come and find it.

Sure enough, she started moving forward, winding her way through the trees, following her intuition. It was leading her forward, so she obediently followed. Her friends rushed after her as they ran through the expansive forest, ducking under branches and leaping over bushes to keep up with the girl's sudden burst of speed. Her legs were working for her, and she could tell she was getting closer. Her pace seemed to quicken and she was sprinting, her instincts leading the way without her knowing where she was going herself. Sooner rather than later, the group found themselves in the clearing where the battle of dark and light had taken place merely two days before hand, though that wasn't what Lucy was interested in. She had finally found it. It was as if it was waiting for her to arrive, hovering a few inches off of the ground, beckoning her to come forth. It was like a star, sparkling like a firefly, shining brighter than it had one moment previous. Crouching down onto her knees, the Stellar Mage tilted her head to the side, peering suspiciously at the floating orb. She was sure that this was it –the fallen star responsible for her burst of power, yet what exactly _was_it? It surely couldn't be a legitimate star that had fallen from the sky, after all, it was during the day, not the night that she had seen it for the first time. Yet it resembled a shooting star so much the blonde-haired girl wasn't sure anymore. Taking a deep breath, she reached forward, yet hesitating before she tried to touch it. It was practically light _itself_, would she be able to physically grasp it?

The moment she cupped the light with her hands, it flashed for a moment, as quickly as the flutter of lashes before it took a solid form in her palms. Her eyes widened as she took in its new appearance, unconsciously tracing the gold –solid gold, she realised, with an amazed expression. It was shimmering with what looked like glitter in the sunlight. Peering closer, Lucy realised that this wasn't the case at all. It was stardust…and what was in her hand was a Celestial Gate Key.

.

..

…

**A/N: Now the real fun starts! YAY FOR SUMMARY FINALLY COMING INTO VIEW. Next chapter everyone gets to hear Lucy's emotional re-telling of her epic battle, as requested by starfire. I'll try to update on Monday, but if not, you'll have to wait till next Friday, sorry!**


	11. Her Fallen Star

**A/N: *Goes to school* *Gets homework for every single class for the weekend* *Returns home* *Faces laptop* *Lowers head onto table* *Cries***

**Not much news on my end besides the fact that I'm swamped with homework. The feeling is most likely mutual with most of you. Anyways, onto my annual announcement for upcoming Celestial events. On the 5th****and 6th****of May, we have the beautiful Eta Aquarids Meteor Shower, which is capable of producing up to 60 he Eta Aquarids meteors per hour at its peak. For people living in the Southern Hemisphere like me, we get to see most of its activity, however those in the Northern Hemisphere can only see up to 30 meteors. So the shower runs annually from April 19 to May 28 but its peak is the night of May 5th****and the morning of May 6th, hurray. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Aquarius, but can appear anywhere in the sky. Therefore, Aquarius is probably mad at Lucy and is hurling plenty of meteors at us, hoping that at least a few will hit her Gate Key owner!**

**Thanks****_mayeevee_****!** **_Dark Shining Light_****, there's going to be plenty more moments like that, and maybe it will be a dragon, maybe it won't. ;) Here you go,****_Coolanime14_****! *Squeals and hugs****_cocopuff123_***** You have no idea how happy your review made me! 3 Thank you also,****_karibel._**__**!** **Thanks for the tips,****_lilpumpkingirl_****, I'm taking your advice. Also thank you to****_Bentears_****for sticking around and I'm glad you're enjoying it so much, as well as****_Rose's Shadow_****!****_Woobaby_****, sorry for freaking you out about that, but that line's pretty important so I hope you remember it because it's going to be mentioned a lot!****_Demonmiko14_****, thank youuuuuu 3, here's the update!****_Starfire_****, sorry if you found it wasn't long enough or anything, but I'm happy you liked it so much! I hoped you'd like the whole Natsu getting trapped in blankets thing funny, I felt as if it was needed and was laughing as I was typing it wondering if it could actually happen. I also like the thought of Wendy looking up to Lucy as a sister, like Romeo and Natsu having their whole brother thing. Erza and Lucy have a great relationship but I wish they had more moments together. The whole key thing regarding to the Queen and Constellar WILL be explained, along with Lucy's burst of power. A Celestial Dragon would probably be the best Spirit ever! Yay for us agreeing on NaLu and the "additional weight" thing will be explained when they get home. I'm glad you enjoyed the NaLu scenes. (I'm hoping to be a writer one day so thank you so much for everything you say, you're not the only one who's said that about how I write characters feeling pain so thanks everyone!) Well I'd rather if we could PM so our convos could be more private but if you don't want an account, than I guess this is how we can communicate. It's cool, you're not making me uncomfortable or anything, friendly people are the best. My guess is that you're a girl, maybe, IDK, correct me if I'm wrong. My secret to my ideas is getting them at random times, but for some reason most ideas come when I'm at school or in the shower for some strange reason. Hurray for me making you cry in joy! :D And I love reading your reviews, make them as long as you want! Thank you for everything! *Sends more good vibes for exams and takes kisses and dessert gladly***

**Thanks for the 72 Favs and 109 Follows! x**

**Her Fallen Star**

The moment she cupped the light with her hands, it flashed for a moment, as quickly as the flutter of lashes before it took a solid form in her palms. Her eyes widened as she took in its new appearance, unconsciously tracing the gold –solid gold, she realised, with an amazed expression. It was shimmering with what looked like glitter in the sunlight. Peering closer, Lucy realised that this wasn't the case at all. It was stardust…and what was in her hand was a Celestial Gate Key. A Key she'd never seen even with her extensive research throughout the years of all different types of Spirits. She was in awe and the vibe of powerful magic it was giving off, intriguing her. It wasn't like her gold Zodiac Keys, but something completely, utterly different. She was so focused on it that she hadn't heard the Fire Dragon approach. "Oi, Lucy, what's going on?" Natsu was the first to reach her, skidding to a stop beside her crouched form. His voice caused her to raise her head, turning it so her eyes met his. Colour rose in her cheeks as she realised she'd taken off without any warning, any apparent reason in her comrades' eyes. She smiled sheepishly in a way of apology, glancing back down at the mysterious object in her hands as she heard the rest of the group arrive.

"It's a long story." The Celestial Wizard said, smiling gratefully as she took Natsu's outstretched hand and he pulled her to her feet.

Grey folded his arms, shrugging as a grin slid onto his lips at her words. "I guess we have plenty of time to hear it, then." He said, seeming cheerful as the Dragon Slayer beside him began to look sick as he was reminded about his motion sickness. "We've got a long journey back home, don't we, Natsu?" He slapped his so-called 'buddy' on the back a little too firmly, but not enough for Erza to notice as she simply smiled at the sight of them getting along. Wendy and Mira cast sympathetic glances towards the Dragon Slayer, yet Happy seemed only to distance himself from his partner, mumbling that he didn't want "to be vomited on". Lucy nodded in agreement at the Ice Mage's words, grasping the Key close to her chest as she followed after the group of Fairy Tail Mages. She wondered about her strange finding for the entire way towards the station while her friends conversed ahead of her. Erza insisted on continuing to carry the sack that apparently held her reward, yet the blonde-haired girl was unsure of how she could manage carrying such a large amount of weight like it was a bag of feathers when she'd barely been able to hold in for a few moments.

Shaking her head, she reminded herself of who Erza was and of the elder girl's strength as Grey volunteered to purchase tickets for the first of many trains they'd have to catch. Watching him walk towards the counter as they reached the train station, Lucy turned to the youngest Dragon Slayer at their Guild, her expression showing curiosity. "Hey, Wendy." She said, moving closer to the blue-haired girl. "I was wondering where Carla was. I kinda thought she wouldn't be happy with you coming all the way here by yourself." She mumbled the second sentence a little quieter as if she feared the white exceed would be able to hear her from all the way in Fiore. Even for a six-year-old, Carla could be quite frightening when she chose to be, and Lucy certainly didn't want to be scolded by said cat for talking about her behind her back. Natsu and Happy would most likely tease her about it if that event actually occurred, which it most likely wouldn't, but Lucy's writer's imagination was quite overactive. The teenager still couldn't comprehend the fact that she'd almost believed Natsu had actually had a crush on her, thanks to Mira's and her own wild thoughts.

Wendy seemed amused by her actions. "Carla just wanted to stay home, so I was fine with that." She answered simply. Lucy didn't respond to that other than nodding. Grey returned and passed the tickets to everyone wordlessly as a whistle confirmed that their ride was about to leave. Lucy laughed as Mira mentioned they'd made it in the nick of time, yet the ride was delayed for several minutes as some poor conductors were forced to somehow find a way to fit all of Erza's luggage onto the train without harming anything under her watchful glare. Happy flew on ahead to find seats while Mira and Grey hauled an already motion sick Natsu Dragneel onto the transportation device. It was still early morning, so Wendy had estimated they'd arrive back in Magnolia sometime past two in the afternoon due to the journey's duration. However, it was not a good move to announce it as this only caused the pink-haired teenager's condition to worsen before the train even began to move. Grey moved to Lucy's side, lowering his voice so the Dragon Slayer couldn't hear as he asked her to sit with her. They both cast glances towards their comrades as Erza came onto the train, finally seeming pleased with the way her luggage was handled. They watched as she knocked Natsu out cold in a few seconds, resting his head in her lap as he laid unconscious, taking up two seats on his own. Sitting away from those two suddenly seemed like a wonderful idea.

"Erza will want us to all sit in the same booth." Lucy whispered back in a hushed tone. "But there's no room because Mira and Wendy need to sit somewhere too." Just as the words left her lips, the two girls sat down in the seats that she and Grey could now no longer occupy. Sighing in defeat, she and the Ice Mage took their seats in the booth beside their friends. Once the train began to move, she realised he was looking at her patiently, as if he was awaiting an explanation on the object she was clutching against her chest like a lifeline. "It'd be better to explain later." She said. "Maybe when we're at a stop and Natsu isn't going to be sick everywhere." She cast a glance towards her friend before turning back to Grey. "I'd rather have him listen too, and it's not exactly a story that only lasts twenty minutes." The Stellar Mage gave him an apologetic smile, but was glad that he seemed to understand. Leaning back in her seat, she closed her eyes as they sat in a comfortable silence until they reached the next station.

**LINE BREAK**

Fast-forward a few hours later and the members of Fairy Tail were searching for a restaurant, three quarters through their journey, much to Natsu's delight. Only two more train rides remained. The Dragon Slayer almost seemed smug at this, but at least he was cheerful, and the colour had returned to his cheeks and the green tinge had faded away. Finally, Happy had found a diner, which was better than nothing. It also held various vacant tables, luckily. Once seated and after they had ordered however, Lucy's friends leaned forward in a fashion that made her feel like she had just sat down to an intervention she didn't know she needed. Grey gave her the same look he'd given her a few hours prior, and she knew this wasn't an interrogation or intervention, merely a questioning and an ask for an explanation. So, sighing, she lifted her head and asked where they would like her to begin. "I'm just worried about what the Queen said." Grey shrugged, catching the interest of his close friends as they recalled the parting words Lucy had been gifted with.

"Don't let the darkness consume you." Lucy quoted, staring down at the key in her hands. "The ground you walk upon holds remains of Celestial Magic long forgotten, yet not all of it is for the side of the angels." Her features seemed to sadden slightly as she dropped the key onto the table, resting it upon her napkin. "Just remember that the brightest stars burn out the fastest." Was it strange of her thoughts to instantly turn to her mother, who was also a Celestial Wizard? "Burns out the fastest…" She sighed and folded her arms, leaning back against her chair. "That's kinda worrying, you know. I don't want to…" she couldn't bring herself to finish her own sentence, unsure of whether or not her teammates were aware to the deeper meaning behind those words. Everyone excluding Natsu and Happy seemed to be thinking hard, wondering if what they heard had been a grim foreshadowing for their beloved Celestial Mage. However, Natsu was the first to speak up, seeming unworried about it altogether.

"Sounds like a load of crap to me." He muttered.

"Natsu!" Mira scolded as she and Erza smacked him over the head in unison. "This is serious!"

"It's fine, don't worry about it." murmured Lucy quietly. "It's probably nothing to worry about…or…" she took a deep breath. "…or maybe Celestial Wizards do burn out eventually...our Magic is connected to the stars, after all." She reasoned. "But then again, Celestial Spirits are immortal, but I don't see…" she let the sentence die out as her thoughts took her back to the night that Horologium and Virgo had sacrificed themselves for her. Her comrades noticed her sudden change in mood as she lowered her head. "Our Magic makes our Spirits only as strong as our love for them is…but V-Virgo…" her lips quivered, causing Natsu, who was sitting beside her, to shuffle his chair closer. "I…I had to watch her…" she swallowed hard, taking a deep breath to console herself. "She sacrificed herself for me…and Horologium did as well…" she brought out her ring of keys, setting them down gently on the table with a gentle clatter. "I wanted to grow stronger…I wanted to show that I didn't have to rely on my Spirits to save me…" the blonde-haired girl sniffled slightly, rubbing her eyes. Grey, who sat on her other side, squeezed her shoulder in a comforting gesture.

"Is that the reason for everything?" Mira asked gently, leaning forward. "For going on a solo mission?"

"No!" Lucy cried, hiding her face in her hands. "It's not just that! I did this mission because I wanted to help Starlight out…but I also wanted to…to prove myself to the team!" she dropped her hands but averted her gaze in shame. "I always have to stand back and watch in the important battles because I'm not as strong as the rest of you…" she sighed. "I'm the weakest link in Fairy Tail's so-called "Strongest Team", even I know that." Her words caused the group to exchange concerned and surprised glances, yet the Fire Dragon Slayer in the group spoke up before they could say anything before them.

"Even if you're not as strong as us that doesn't mean anything." Natsu assured. "I mean, you've gotten us out of a lot of situations cause of that head of yours," he gently tapped her forehead, eliciting a soft giggle from his friend that caused him to smile. She quietly whispered a _thank you, Natsu_ to him, ending the conversation before the others sitting at the table could say anything else. Lucy muttered an apology for her current state, sniffling quietly, oblivious to the fact that one of her Gate Keys had begun to shine. It disappeared from the key ring abruptly, just as a soft _poof_was heard.

"Pun-punn!" Plue cheered, raising his arms in the air as he suddenly appeared on Lucy's lap in a puff of smoke. Her friends looked at him in surprise at the unexpected arrival, but his key owner simply giggled quietly at the sight of him as he looked up at her worriedly. He stood up and grasped the fabric of her vest with his small hands, tugging at it with a string of words that none of them could understand. Yet the Celestial Wizard knew why he was here and she felt utterly touched as she leaned forward and her Spirit began to hurriedly try to wipe away her tears. She closed her eyes and lifted him up so he could gently pat her cheeks as his touch tickled slightly. Once he had finished, he seemed triumphant, but saddened that she had been crying. "Pun-punn, pun-punn!" He wailed as she rested him on her lap again, causing him to press his face against her abdomen and try his best to embrace her comfortingly.

"Thanks, Plue." She smiled, fondly patting his head as he nuzzled his cheek against her stomach. He responded with his usual "words" and she lifted her gaze to look at her friends, some of which were letting out a soft _aww_ at the sight. "Even low powered Spirits like Plue can pass through their own gate." She explained, misty-eyed. "My Spirits have pretty close bonds with me, I guess. Whenever I'm sad, Plue's always the first one to come and visit me to make sure I'm alright." Lucy said, and just as the words left her lips, one more key began to shine. In a much larger cloud of smoke than Plue's arrival had brought, the group of Fairy Tail Mages watched the Lion Spirit emerge. He ignored the surprised and flustered customers who stared at him, whispering to each other in confusion at two strange characters appearing out of thin air in the diner, but simply looked to Lucy. He noticed his fellow Celestial Spirit in her arms and allowed a smile at the sight as he moved towards the booth his Nakama were currently occupying. "Hey, Loke." She greeted. "No big deal, I'm fine now, it's okay." She assured.

"You sure?" He asked gently. She nodded in assurance and he trusted her enough to leave without another word.

Wendy opened her mouth to ask more about what had happened but Mira gave her a look that caused her to remain silent. However, Lucy lifted up the strange Celestial Key and closed her eyes. "This fell from the sky," she told her friends, grasping it tightly. "When I was casting Urano Metria, I saw it fall from the clouds and as soon as if hit the ground, my Magic abilities were suddenly intensified." She let out a small, amused laugh. "It was as if it…unlocked something or whatever, it just gave me a massive burst of power, it was strange." She brought the gold object to rest over her heart. "I'm going to speak to Crux with his telepathy and ask him about it, if I summoned him, he might scare some of the other customers." She lowered her head, concentrating. Natsu and Happy muttered something about the Spirit's supposed sleeping habits as Erza hushed them to allow Lucy some quiet to connect to her Spirit. A few moments of silence passed between the group and their food had already arrived before the blonde-haired girl even moved a muscle. Happy, Natsu and Grey stared at her intently, waiting for her to suddenly cry out like Crux had infamously done so in the past, and Happy even asked whether or not she had fallen asleep. Yet it was quite the opposite.

_So…you can't find any information at all, Crux?_Lucy was currently asking after the Spirit had abruptly awoken.

_My apologies, but even I cannot find anything besides half of its name of the Spirit and nothing more, not even of its abilities._

_Half a name is better than anything, it allows me to be a step closer to summoning it, at the very least._Lucy responded.

_All I can gather is 'Stellar', and nothing more. I apologize._

_That's alright Crux, thank you for your help. Goodbye._

Lucy's eyes opened and shone with disappointment as she placed the key back down. "He found nothing." She sighed, but brightened up slightly at the sight of her food, and at Plue happily helping himself to a considerately small amount of it. "You can share with me, Plue." She cheered, watching his features light up as he jumped onto the table. Mira smiled at the sight of Lucy no longer looking sad, but couldn't help but worry about the Queen of Constellar's words. _The brightest stars burn out the fastest._She looked to Erza and knew the Weapon Mistress was thinking about the same thing. They'd have to look out for their special friend more than ever, because if there was one thing they'd never let happen…it would be letting her get hurt.

**LINE BREAK**

Lucy opened her eyes, feeling as though she had awoken from a long-lasting dream although she was vaguely aware that she had just fallen asleep. The lights and stars of the Celestial Realm were certainly not an odd sight, but an almost comforting one at that. Although she'd only been to the Realm a few times without anyone when she was younger, she felt very out of her depth and strangely exposed at the absence of her loved ones by her side. Grasping at the ends of her skirt as she began moving forward, she looked around for whoever had summoned her to the realm, knowing that this visit would have to be a short one. She wasn't sure of how different time went by in this world, but Capricorn had once hinted that the Spirit Realm's time passed far quicker than Earthland's. How she had gotten here, how she had appeared dressed in Celestial clothing, both were a complete mystery. "I must be dreaming, then." She wondered aloud, lifting her head upwards to gaze and the beautiful array of stars above her. Angelic laughter echoed around the empty space at her words, causing her to jump, startled.

"Hello?" the member of Fairy Tail called. "Who's there? Who are you?" she asked. "Please, answer me!" she spun around as the laughter was suddenly behind her. She squinted and saw something gold glimmering in the distance. Before she knew it, she was running, running as fast as she could towards that object for an unknown reason. She wanted answers and she needed them know. "Who are you?!" the blonde screamed, pumping her legs faster as the laughter began to fade. "Answer me, please! _Please!_ Why am I here?" no matter how fast she thought she had travelled, the space around her was expanding, stretching away from her. "Does this has something to do with what I found? Huh? Stellar? Is that your name?!" she skidded to a stop as all noises were ceased and the light had stopped moving away from her. "Is it?!" Hunching over, she was panting, catching her breath. There was silence all around, terrifying her, wondering what was about to happen.

"So it _is_ you, Lucinda Heartfilia…" a soft, gentle, female voice whispered. "You're the one who has found my key, dear?" she hummed, her words spoken in a tone showing the person the voice belonged to was apparently impressed with her feat. "It seems brother dearest was correct, after all…" the light floated towards Lucy, identical to the orb that she had found a few hours beforehand. "My name is not Stellar, but that guess in itself is close enough. I look forward to meeting you in person sometime soon, Lucinda." The world began to spin around her as the key dropped into the girl's hands and the voice faded away.

"Wait, what's your real name? What was the point of this?!" Lucy shouted, completely and utterly confused. "Stellar! Stellar, come back! _Come back-_"

"_Lucy, you awake?"_

Lucy's eyes snapped open and she realised she was finally awake, with Mira shaking her shoulder. "Y-Yeah," she stuttered in reply. "Just a weird dream…it was so strange…" Lucy shook her head, clutching it. "I think I just need some air." She sighed. "Are we home yet?" she asked. Mira grinned, grasping the blonde's wrist and dragging her out of the carriage and off of the train with a sudden force. "Look up!" she said, nudging the younger girl. Lucy looked up at the sign welcoming them back in Magnolia and grinned. "We're home!" she faintly heard Happy cheer from somewhere behind her. She looked over her shoulder and smiled at the cat before Grey suddenly wrapped his arms around her waist and hoisted her up into the air, causing her to scream in surprise at the sudden action. "Grey!" she screeched, noticing he was carrying her over to a suddenly eager looking Natsu Dragneel.

"Sorry about this, you know, Lucy." Grey smirked with a wink. "In advance."

She had no time to ask what he was on about before he transferred her into Natsu's arms and the pink-haired eighteen-year old gripped onto her tightly. Determination was clear in his eyes and the blonde-haired girl gulped, wondering what was about to happen, starting to fear for her safety. _"LET'S GET TO THE GUILD!"_ the Dragon Slayer cheered, racing off throughout the streets of their hometown, the poor defenceless Celestial Mage's screams echoing as they disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

"Maybe that was a bad idea…" Wendy mumbled.

"Too late now, I guess." Mira giggled. "Let's go see if Lucy's surprise party is ready!"

.

..

…

**A/N: Okayyy, I just realised a major stuff up and I feel like an idiot. I said this was Post-Edolas, which it is, but yet Capricorn is a part of Lucy's Celestial Spirit Gang currently. Ugh. Okay, just to clear everything up, I'm just saying Capricorn was given to Lucy by her mother when she was younger because the plot works better that way, and the whole S-Class thing with Loke fighting Capricorn will be compromised with some other fight scene or something. Sorry it took so long for the update, this felt like a filler and I barely had any time at all to write because of schoolwork and I have three scripts I have to learn for drama on top of schoolwork which I should be finishing but instead I'm writing this A/N so ughh. Many apologies for that and that this was so short, but I'll update on Friday, this time for realz. Sorry!**


	12. Welcome Back, Lucy-san!

**A/N: Homework is what rests in my bag at the moment. Homework that I shall finish, don't worry. Thanks for all the nice wishes for school. One drama performance remains, yet the other absolutely sucked as my cast was completely unprepared and people kept stuffing up and having to improvise and some random stole some of my things while I was on stage and I was ready to tear my hair out when I got home but oh well. As a wise nekogirl017 once said, Drama's a bitch. Hurray for me remembering all my lines and not stuffing up once. On another note, did anyone go out and see the Eta Aquarids meteor shower?! It was so pretty, I loved it! It was the first meteor shower I'd ever seen and I didn't even care it was past twelve in the morning and I had school six hours after that. It was beautiful and I've decided I love Stellar Astronomy. **

**Thank you, Dark Shining Light, once again. I'm happy you enjoyed. Nekogirl017, there's kinda a reason for her being called Lucinda and not just because I just really like the name! (Which I do!) Thank you, drama sucks sometimes and others times I absolutely love it! Demonmiko14, I'M SORRY I TOOK FOREVER HERE IS THE NEXT CHAPTER! Thank you, Bentears! Xxx And thank you so much to ArtistFox, you made me so happy, you can't even believe! AND WE HAVE 80 FAVS AND 123 FOLLOWS! THANK YOU MINNA-SAN! **

**Welcome Back, Lucy-san! **

Lucy had stopped screaming a total of two minutes and seven seconds ago. Incidentally, Natsu Dragneel had slowed down the incredible pace he'd been keeping up a total of two minutes and seven seconds ago.

Now the Dragon Slayer had gone from a fast jog to a simple walk, the both of them silently deciding that they preferred this speed better. This was for the sake of Natsu's sensitive hearing and Lucy's stress levels. They weren't going to have one of them deaf and the other suffering a heart attack before they reached Fairy Tail. Just thinking about all of his Nakama planning a party in Lucy's honour brought a smile to his face. He remembered how the elder wizards in the Guild would throw a party whenever one of the newcomers to Fairy Tail or one of the younger kids had completed their first solo mission successfully. He could still recall the party that Makarov had planned the day he'd tackled a job all by himself for the first time when he was ten. Obviously he'd spent all the money straight away as it wasn't a real tough one, but he still kept the flyer to remember that day forever. Speaking of flyers, he'd tacked up the first mission he'd done with the girl currently in his arms as soon as he'd arrived home that evening. Sure at that time he wasn't really sure about her but he had good instincts about the blonde-haired weirdo that he and Happy had brought to the Guild and they'd never looked back since. That was when he wondered why he was taking a trip down memory lane now and he looked at the girl in his peripheral vision. Was it because she'd taken down the entire Dark Guild by herself and he was starting to wonder what missions they could go on now? Would she be up for more dangerous jobs, more training? Would she start becoming stronger? He mentally shrugged. It didn't matter, not really. All that did matter was her achievement and how proud he and their friends were of her.

Lucy was in deep thought at that current moment. She'd rested her fallen star alongside the rest of her keys in the pouch at her hip, her gaze focused on the sky above Magnolia, watching clouds or birds, she didn't know. _Just remember that the brightest stars burn out the fastest… _She thought before recalling the strange dream she'd had. First of all, she was confused as to why the strange voice had spoken like it _knew_ her…and as if whoever this 'Stellar' Celestial Spirit was had been expecting for her to find her key. Secondly…why _Lucinda_, of all names? Her name was Lucy. Lucy Heartfilia, Lucy of Fairy Tail. She had no middle name and wasn't even aware that her name could be lengthened. With the glamorous key tucked safely away, she was faced with three mysteries at the current moment. First, what _exactly_ was the Queen of Constellar _on_ about? Second, if Crux couldn't help her with this strange key, what _exactly_ could she do with it? Finally…_what the heck was that weird dream about and who the heck was the strange voice she heard?! _Okay, maybe the last part of the third question could be added to the list and she could have four mysteries but Lucy was tired from all of the travelling and really didn't want to categorise questions she couldn't answer right now. Silently sighing, her gaze shifted to a blur of blue up above her and her friend.

Happy.

He'd followed and flown after them, she realised. Sometimes she forgot about how fast he could fly. Her lips curved into a faint smile. The exceed looked determined to get back to the Guild quickly, most likely to find Carla. The thought was the cause of Lucy's smile stretching wider. It was amusing sometimes, it a heartbreakingly tragic way, that was, when Carla always seemed to reject Happy whenever he'd try to give her an entire fish even though he would've gladly eaten it himself. It was obvious that she liked him…maybe tolerated would be a better word…but she certainly didn't hate him. Maybe in a few years they'd start getting closer. The blonde girl let out a quiet laugh as her imagination began to run wild, bringing up pictures of a thirteen-year-old Happy and Carla going on a cute little date. If that ever happened all of Fairy Tail's Mages would become so wound up in utter disbelief and shock that they'd explode. Another laugh left her lips at that thought. The blue cat looked down at her at the sound in confusion while Natsu glanced at her with amusement in his eyes.

"What's so funny?" the Dragon Slayer asked as Happy descended through the air until he was gliding on it in the space beside Natsu's head. Lucy began to laugh again, this time loudly as she waved her hand in the air, dismissing the conversation before it began. Happy and Natsu exchanged glances, the latter muttering something involving the word _weirdo_ in his sentence, causing Lucy to abruptly silence her laughter in order to slam her fist into his chest. He immediately looked offended and suddenly demanded why she'd done such a thing. Lucy puffed out her cheeks in annoyance and that is how their bickering began.

**LINE BREAK**

Now when Natsu, Lucy and Happy arrived at the Guild with the others soon beside them, Lucy expected Natsu to set her down.

Did he though?

No.

He did not.

Did he make a grand entrance?

Yes.

Yes he did, indeed.

He kicked the doors open as loud as it was physically possible without breaking them and caused all heads inside the Guild to turn in his direction at the noise. Then he gripped Lucy tightly and lifted her in the air, cheering. "WE'RE BA-ACK!" He shouted as he lowered her back against his chest. "WHO'S READY TO PARTY?!" He practically screamed the last sentence with all of the excitement he could muster before the crowd of Fairy Tail members burst into cheers and drinks were raised in the air. With a smirk tugging at his lips, Natsu tilted her in his arms until her feet brushed against the ground and she could stand up on her own. He pretended to look extremely relieved at not having to carry her anymore in over-exaggeration. "Finally!" he breathed dramatically. "You're so heavy, I thought I wasn't gonna make it!" He cried. Lucy glared and punched him in the arm, causing him to laugh. "I'm kidding, sheesh L-" that was all the Stellar Mage heard before someone grabbed her and dragged her away from the pink-haired Salamander and into the crowd of wizards. She couldn't make out who exactly was speaking to her when almost all of her Guild mates were shouting words of congratulations and surprise as she was soon surrounded. People were patting her back and ruffling her hair, either saying they couldn't believe it or that they were just ecstatic she was okay. It was all a blur before she was hoisted up into the air for the second time but this time for a different purpose.

Crowd surfing.

Apparently some wizards had obviously forgotten the rule which forced everyone to stop going along with Cana's ideas for their own safety.

Now the blonde-haired girl could make out what all of her Nakama were saying as she was passed through the cluster of Mages and the cheers were replaced by something else. Chants. She burst into laughter as they began to chant her name, Cana being the first to do so of course. She _was_ the mastermind after all. _"Lucy! Lucy! Lucy! Lucy!" _Lucy's laughter grew even louder as she heard Erza, Mira, Wendy, Grey, Happy and Natsu jokingly join in, the Fire Mage shouting it with all his might as he joined the group the moving his friend around over their heads as they cheered and hollered. Soon enough everyone joined in with her laughter and the Guild was in hysterics, most likely from the supposed 'water' that had been passed around by a certain Card Mage. For those moments, she forgot about everything that had been bothering her, threw her head back and relaxed as the cheering echoed in her mind and blasted through her eardrums. _"Lucy! Lucy! Lucy! Lucy!" _Natsu lifted his hands up and let her fall into his arms as the chanting soon died out and her feet hit the ground once again. Natsu was grinning as she continued laughing, shaking her head in disbelief at what had happened as she straightened out her clothes. Ah, crowd surfing. That wasn't at his solo mission celebration party, but then again he hadn't taken down a whole Guild, had he? There hadn't been any drinking either, but he didn't mind. He lifted his fist into the air as everyone else lifted glasses and cups instead. "TO LUCY!" He hollered, draping an arm across said girl's shoulders as Fairy Tail erupted into celebratory cheers once again. Right on cue as they shouted the cry once again, confetti showered them in a rain of coloured paper and glitter and Lucy felt herself being pulled into a hug by a group of friends and being spun around.

"_WELCOME BACK, LUCY-SAN!"_

That was the start of the next round of chanting, whether to her pleasure or displeasure, she didn't know. 

**LINE BREAK**

Her ears were ringing by the time the party began to slow down and she'd retreated back to the bar where Mira had returned to, the blonde resting her head in her folded arms. It was quiet for once as tired wizards headed home for the night with the majority of them stumbling out the door, drunk as hell. It'd dragged on for the rest of the afternoon and she was ready to go home herself soon enough. The confetti had been swept away but various glasses, whether half full or empty, littered the floor. Mira didn't mind cleaning at all but knew she had her work cut out for her tonight. Unfortunately, the short few moments of peace were disturbed as another fight broke out inside the Guild Hall. Letting out an exasperated sigh and gaining an apologetic look from Mirajane, Lucy moved away from the bar, knowing the tendency for Guild Members to be thrown across the room and from past experience, the bar had been one of the least safest places to take cover. She searched around for a comfortable haven as Grey and Natsu leaped onto the tables loudly, the sound causing her attention to turn to the two of them. The Ice Mage had pressed his fist against the palm of his free hand as frost and vapour began to form in the air around him, a cocky smirk tugging at his lips as he challenged his rival. Lucy smiled at the familiar scene that the two idiots seemed to recreate almost every day they had the chance over the smallest of arguments and stupidest things.

Then she saw Natsu's fists become engulfed in flames and that's when everything stopped.

A scream left her lips as for that brief second, she didn't see her pink-haired best friend, and she didn't see the surrounding walls of Fairy Tail. She saw Zach, the master of Explosive Magic, and she saw the woods encasing her, trees charred and blackened all around. Her lungs burned from the smoke and she screamed, crashing to the floor, narrowly missing the surge of flames that blasted past her and made Master Makarov and Mirajane dive for cover, shouting angrily at Natsu for almost setting the bar on fire. Juvia had rushed to put the fire out for the supposed 'protection' of Grey. Loke had suddenly appeared and moved almost in sync with her, but when he turned to her, she was still crouched, hands hovering over her head as if to protect herself, eyes wide, and shoulders trembling. "Lucy?" Loke moved closer to her, placing a hand on her shoulder that elicited another scream of terror to tear its way from her throat. He flinched and moved away out of shock.

Not many people turned to look at her at her cry, as it was normal to hear such sounds when dodging attacks during your everyday Guild fights. Though Natsu did. Grey was coming at him with another attack, but to their audience's surprise, the Fire Mage held his hand up to motion for them to pause their latest battle. "I gotta go check up on Lucy." He informed, turning on his heel as he headed towards his blonde friend. Loke had been able to touch her this time without her freaking out and she'd allowed him to move closer. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and was saying something to console her. That was when Natsu noticed that she looked terrified of something. "Oi, Lucy," the Dragon Slayer said as he neared them, crouching down to meet her level. "You right?" he tilted his head to the side in confusion when she mumbled a soft _"I'm fine."_ yet her eyes betrayed her. Eyes were a window to the soul, and hers seemed frightened.

"Now's not really a good time, Natsu." The Lion said suddenly, almost protectively holding the Stellar Mage closer. Natsu was surprised at the look his Nakama was giving him. Was it anger? He certainly wasn't pleased to see him, but why? What had he done to her? Noticing his confused expression, Loke let out an exasperated sigh. "Never mind, alright? I'm taking her home for tonight." He said, gently helping Lucy to her feet. Erza and Levy, who had been watching the interaction side by side, exchanged glances. Shaking her head, Erza moved forwards and announced she would also accompany Lucy home while Levy simply went to help Mira clean up the mess that had been made already. Natsu looked around in confusion but soon engaged back into another fight with Grey that barely took his mind off of what happened.

**LINE BREAK **

Lucy kept her gaze averted from meeting her friends' as they headed out of Fairy Tail and journeyed towards her apartment in Strawberry Street. She hugged herself and continued to look down at her feet as they moved in silence that was far from comfortable. Erza still had Lucy's reward bag with her, tucked safely under her arm as Loke strolled along with his hands deep in his pockets. They chose not to speak until they reached her home and she let them follow her inside. Loke clicked the lights on for them and Lucy quietly asked if they wanted any tea, to which they politely declined. She nodded and motioned for them to sit down and the group was cast in a short silence as the Stellar Mage fidgeted and bit her lip, nervous habits that both Loke and Erza had picked up during their time with her. It was quite clear what they wanted to talk about and yet that was the topic of conversation she desperately wanted to avoid going into. Sighing, Loke made the first move to open his mouth and begin talking when Lucy automatically went to silence him, yet it didn't go as planned.

"I'm not scared of fire!" the Celestial Mage blurted out as she held her hands against her chest in an attempt to control her heartbeat. Her eyes were wide with what seemed like panic to the two sitting across from her. "I'm not scared of it, okay? I'm fine. It's just fire right?" she let out a forced laugh, looking away. "Natsu uses Fire Magic, he's a Fire Dragon Slayer after all!" she turned her head to look at Erza. "And you have your Flame Empress Armour, and because of all the fights at Fairy Tail I'm obviously used to dodging fire from time to time." She tried to joke about it, but her friends weren't amused, merely concerned. "I see it all the time, there's no possible way that I _could_ be scared of it." The way she was speaking persuaded Erza into believing that in fact Lucy wasn't trying to convince her, but she was trying to convince herself instead. She sent a sidewards glance towards Loke, silently asking for him to leave so she could properly converse with her comrade as she knew Lucy was more likely to open up if it was just the two girls.

"Okay, then." He sighed. "Goodnight, girls."

"Goodnight, Loke." Erza smiled at him as Lucy said nothing. He sighed once again before he vanished back to his own realm, leaving the two female wizards alone.

"Lucy, you should know as well as anyone." The scarlet-haired woman then began. "It's perfectly normal to develop a fear after experiencing–"

"I don't have a fear of fire." Lucy countered immediately.

"Denial isn't going to help you." Erza responded calmly as she reached across the table and grasped the younger girl's hand. "I understand what you're going through, and it will be alright in the future. In the present, though, you need to realise that what you went through was traumatic and I certainly wouldn't blame you for developing this phobia." She squeezed her hand gently. "What you need to know is that it isn't the end of the world and that this may only be a temporary disability." Her words caused Lucy to raise her head and meet her gaze. "I suggest that you shouldn't overthink this. That would only worsen the situation." She smiled reassuringly to comfort her friend as she continued. "I'm certain that this won't last for too long if you are indeed worried about that and I also want you to know that you won't be alone in this." Erza now took Lucy's hand in both of hers. "We are a team, you, Grey, Natsu and I. Outside that team we still all belong to the same Guild and everyone in Fairy Tail is a member of your family. You are a member of ours. We are Nakama and we won't leave you alone when you need us." She assured.

"Erza…" murmured Lucy.

"You wouldn't be the only one affected either." Continued the Requip Mage. "This would also affect Natsu greatly as well and even myself if we were forced to use fire-based Magic in front of you. We wouldn't want you to be harmed or scared-"

"I'll be fine." Lucy quickly insisted.

"If that is what you say." Erza responded. "But you do know that you are never alone, don't you?"

Lucy smiled softly at this and nodded, her hand still tightly clasped in her friend's. "Of course I do, Erza." She answered. "I know I always have you guys at Fairy Tail. I don't think I'd be _allowed_ to feel alone with you lot always breaking into my house." At her words both of them began to laugh and the tension in the room faded and was replaced with a lighter, joyful mood.

"On another note, I know you've got a lot of things on your mind at the moment, Lucy." Erza said gently as they broke apart. She then moved and rested her friend's reward on top of the girl's bed, working to untie the straps. "But I think this might intrigue you and help you keep busy from thinking about what happened back at the Guild." She reached into the bag once in was untied and to Lucy's surprise, brought out a large, ancient-seeming novel which caused the Stellar Mage to almost drop it immediately as it was pressed in her hands. The Weapon Mistress seemed unfazed by the weight but aided the younger girl to place it on her covers. "First of all, as you can see, the title is written in runes, but that isn't what I believe will interest you the most." She reached back into the sack and pulled out a white envelope and passed it over. "I think these things were placed in this bag along with your reward money for a certain reason revolving around the key in your possession." Erza continued as Lucy stared down at the tiny gold lettering on the paper. It was also in strange runes, yet thanks to some of Levy's teachings on reading the odd script, she could faintly make out who it was addressed to.

_Lucy Heartfilia._

"It's for me." She gaped, turning the paper over to tear open the envelope. She pulled out a neatly folded letter that had been waiting inside and delicately unfolded it, her eyes widening as she scanned the lettering. "It's in the same runes." She informed, showing the paper to her friend for her to also see. Erza nodded in agreement as Lucy tried to decipher any of the lettering with a frown upon her lips. "Maybe this has something to do with the key after all." She said thoughtfully as Erza flipped through the book beside her. "But I don't understand what exactly…" she sighed, taking a seat next to the S-Class Mage.

"This is all written in a script almost alike to what's in that letter." Erza said. "Can you read any of it at all, Lucy?" she asked.

The blonde Celestial Mage shook her head until her gaze fell onto the last line of the paper and a soft gasp left her lips as she brought it closer to her face to be certain of what she was reading was correct. "I…I t-think…" she was in awe as she looked to the lettering at the start of the letter and then back down to the final words of the message. The gold words seemed to shift under her gaze and rearrange themselves in English, much to her utter surprise. Erza was looking at her in concern as she noticed tears beginning to form in those honey-brown eyes of hers. "I know…I know w-who it's a-addressed to…" Lucy sniffled. "…a-and who it's f-from…." She took a deep breath. _"Dear Lucy…" _she read aloud. _"Love, Layla Heartfilia." _She shakily dug her hand into her pouch of keys and brought out the latest addition to her collection. Misty-eyed, Lucy looked at the paper in her left hand before she glanced back to the Celestial Gate Key in her right. That brought her number of mysteries she needed to solve up to a total of four.

If only she knew how much the two objects she was holding would impact her life in the months to come.

.

..

…

**A/N: Just if any of you were wondering, I did not spend most of my class time this week planning a NaLu (with mild Gruvia, GaLe and major Jerza on the side) fan fiction where Lucy joins a gang and is a complete badass. Okay, fine, yes I did. One gang to rule them all. It'd be Modern AU and completely amazingly badass but I'd need to focus on my darling **_**Falling Stars**_** but I'm interested to see if any of you would read something like that. If so, tell me so I can give more details next chapter and see if anyone would actually want to read it, please! x **


	13. Pyrophobia

**A/N:** **Thanks, Infinities Lover, Melon Bread, PrincessK01, Rapunzel3,** **Demonmiko14, Bentears, Coolanime14, FairyDemonDust and Erza's Cake! Thanks for all of the positive feedback for this and the upcoming story (which I swear is more badass than it sounds so far) and for all the support! Thank you also for the 93 Favs and 132 Follows!**

***Searches for Guest Reviewer Starfire for answers to past questions before disappearing into black hole* **

**Without further ado, here's Chapter 13!**

**Pyrophobia**

_Pyrophobia. Noun. –An abnormal fear of fire._

Lucy didn't know how she got here, but then again no one ever remembers the beginning of a dream, nor a nightmare.

What she did know was that she was running, running after a sparkling light in the distance. Running as if her sole purpose in life was to catch it and hold it close and safe forever. A strange sense of Déjà vu surrounded her and she knew she'd been here before. Wasn't it the day before that she was chasing after a golden glow far from her grasp? This time it was clearly different, as she was not in the Celestial Spirit Realm, nor wearing the attire for survival in that world's strange atmosphere. Now she was dressed in the clothing she'd worn to bed and as she rushed through a darkened, dense forest. The cold wind whipped at her and chilled her down to bone in the blackness the cloudy night sky provided. Her slippers were dripping with water from the rain-covered grass she moved across and mud had splattered up the length of her bare legs. Her breath came out in short pants but she never lost sight of her goal. The amount of time she had spent so far chasing blindly was unknown. Her strides remained quick and panicked, yet the darkness was growing around her. It was moving in, seeping into the earth and plaguing it with black beneath her. _Don't let the darkness consume you._ Fingertips trailed up her arms in teasing, torturous lines that were freezing to the touch. The shadows were forming into figures, slowly following on behind her, waiting for the perfect moment to pounce.

She stumbled and fell, letting out a gasp of pain as something metallic grasped her ankle and held with a crushing grip. The darkness was crawling up her legs, licking like blackened flames as they squeezed the life from her and she screamed in pain. She hurriedly resorted to crawling, fingernails scraping at dirt as she felt the shadows tugging her in the opposite direction, pulling her away from reaching her goal. She wanted to cry for help, for someone to get that _damned star_ for her, if anything. "H-Help…" she managed to croak out as the shadows greedily encased her lower half and began dragging her backwards. Lucy flailed about, attempting to punch the darkness which was unaffected by her attacks. "No…" she moaned in defeat, slamming her fist against the ground as she knew this was a battle she was already losing. It seemed hopeless at this point and that she could do nothing but let herself be consumed.

But that was when her peripheral vision caught sight of something glimmering close by and she lifted her head.

The light had floated towards her, a beacon to bring her home, her guardian angel that came when she needed saving. The darkness had stopped its tugging. A dazed smile formed on her lips and she laughed tiredly as the flickering orb hovered closer to her face until she could feel its warmth heating up her cheeks. The binds holding her down slithered away, melding back into the dark shadows, freeing her from her chains. The light reflected in her eyes and made them glow as she reached towards it. She blinked a few times to make sure it was real, yet suddenly the world around her had shifted. The light was far away once more, as if she'd dreamt and imagined the light floating just inches from her reach. Her hands just barely had the time to close around nothingness where her star once was before the illusion was shattered and she awakened from her slumber.

She blinked once, twice and three times before she closed her eyes again. The coldness had left her, the darkness of the night having faded long ago. It was morning, maybe even midday, and she was no longer dreaming. It'd been the second time her subconscious had committed this act, tossing her into an unreal world that seemed so realistic and giving her the same task once again –follow the light. Once again, she'd woken up just as she reached her goal, confusing her. The Stellar Mage opened her eyes. Her arms were stretched out across the mattress, occupying the space the usual pink-haired intruder known as _Natsu Dragneel_ would normally be taking up beside her on certain mornings. Lucy realised she'd been reaching forward in the real world as well as in her subconscious. She stared down at her open, empty hands and wondered if it was the trick of the light or whether she saw a glimpse of stardust shimmer on her fingertips.

"Lucy, are you alright?" Erza's voice came from the bathroom where the elder girl was most likely taking a bath to start off her day. The Celestial Wizard remembered the Weapon Mistress staying the night after the scarlet-haired woman had offered to keep her company after they discovered the letter written in strange runes by none other than the late Layla Heartfilia. Erza had comforted her when the girl became distraught at the surprising finding, holding her friend close and telling her stories of various missions she'd gone on until Lucy had fallen asleep. She smiled faintly at the memory and wished that sometime in the future she could repay the S-Class Mage for doing so, yet she simply sat up and left the warmth of her blankets.

"I'm fine, Erza." She called back in assurance, staring absentmindedly down at her hands again. Her dream somehow felt like it was a symbolic method her subconscious was using to warn her in advance of a future occurrence, yet it just felt like it was exaggerating the hopelessness she currently felt.

After all, she had been following after a glowing light, reaching after trail of sparkling diamonds and chasing after a star that was light-years out of reach.

How silly of her.

**LINE BREAK**

Natsu arrived at Fairy Tail with Happy in tow in the midst of the morning crowd. The exceed had flown off in search of fish and for Carla, leaving him alone. He searched the Hall for a certain someone for a few moments before heading towards the bar and pulling up a stool. Mira greeted him with a warm smile which he returned before speaking. "Where's Lucy?" He asked, turning around in his seat as he looked for a familiar flash of blonde hair in the Guild. "I was gonna talk to her today..." The Dragon Slayer sighed as he realised she hadn't arrived yet. "D'you think she's alright?" He recalled the scene from yesterday during one of his and Grey's fights and sighed even louder at the memory. Levy, sitting a few stools away, lifted her head at his words as a torn expression graced her features and she gripped her book a little tighter than necessary. This action was unnoticed by everyone, who continued their morning rituals around the members sitting at the bar, choosing missions or simply wandering around enjoying their first hit of caffeine for the day.

"I'm sure she's just sleeping in, Natsu." Mira assured before she smiled almost gleefully. "Come to think of it, neither of you are exactly _early risers, _per say,so why are you here so early in the morning?" she giggled quietly at a memory of their departure as a group to go 'rescue' the Stellar Mage in question and how Natsu and Happy could barely keep their eyes open when Erza wasn't looking in their direction. Speaking of the scarlet-haired woman, she was nowhere in sight either. Natsu shrugged in response to her question, so she moved on. "Erza isn't here either, normally she's one of the first here to get the best missions," she scanned her surroundings but couldn't find the S-Class Mage anywhere. Levy got up from her seat and moved over to the conversing wizards, clearing her throat, the noise grasping their attention. "Oh, good morning, Levy." Mira greeted cheerfully. Levy offered a weak smile, clutching her book against her chest as her gaze shifted and rested on Natsu. He stared back at her blankly, waiting for her to speak.

"Erza took Lucy home last night." The bookworm murmured. "And that's kinda what I want to talk to you about, Natsu." She said carefully. He raised an eyebrow at her words, to which she hurriedly added, "About what happened during you and Grey's fight." Her eyes lowered so she wouldn't see his face when she spoke. He tensed for a moment and his shoulders drooped at the memory. He didn't comment, so she decided to continue, barely noticing their Guild Mates move closer, interested in the conversation as they'd either seen or heard about the Stellar Mage's reaction to her friend's fire magic. Sucking in a deep breath, the Script Mage began. "When people go through something traumatic, they often develop fears following the event." Levy explained, keeping her gaze down. "And Lu-chan was almost killed by someone who uses Explosive Magic, and she was severely burned by fire, Natsu. _Fire." _She spoke the last word with a large amount of emphasis, yet it wasn't needed as he'd unfortunately already realised what she was saying the first time around. "It's called Pyrophobia. She saw a mass of fire coming towards her and her trauma returned." She continued. "People have triggers, and for now, Lu-chan's is seeing fire or being close to it." She let out a slow, sympathetic sigh as Natsu's shoulders sagged even more and his eyes seemed to lose their shine.

"So…you're saying she's…scared…of _fire?_ Lucy is?" he asked, his voice gentle and soft, making him seem almost vulnerable. Mira was sure she heard a few hearts shatter at the sound of it, including her own. No one had seen him look so…defeated. Levy silently nodded, unsure as to whether or not she could meet his eyes, which were full of despair. He slumped slightly, unaware of how to process this information. Lucy was his partner, she'd obviously be going on missions with him since it was always better with her on board the team, but most of his attacks- scratch that, _all _of his attacks were fire-based unless he'd battle with his bare hands. He looked away, frowning. "Then what can I do?" He muttered. Mira reached out and lightly squeezed his shoulder, a comforting gesture that didn't seem to aid much. He balled his hands into fists and turned his head. "What can I do?" he repeated, turning to the Take-Over Mage for guidance. She averted her gaze, unsure herself. She couldn't go ahead and tell him to never use his magic in front of Lucy, it wouldn't work out at all. Those two spent a large amount of their time together, and Natsu was almost constantly using his magic on missions and during fights at the Guild, both scenarios having been frequent occurrences. Telling Natsu not to use his magic or go near Lucy was like telling him not to come to Fairy Tail –impossible.

Fortunately the Guild doors flung open, the presence of the Weapon Mistress seeming to slice through the dreary atmosphere and brighten it up slightly as she entered the Hall with Lucy in tow. Natsu turned his head and saw her features seeming…panicked? Was that the correct phrasing? Maybe rushed? He wasn't sure, but he watched her stride towards Levy as soon as she'd caught sight of the girl. She dropped the large, ancient book in her arms onto the table with a heavy sigh of effort, the action causing dust to fly up in the air from some of the pages that had been untouched for decades, not including the few Erza had flickered through herself. Levy gasped at it but Lucy simply slumped down in a seat beside Natsu, not bothering with the usual greetings before she launched straight into explaining what the strange thing was. "This was put in with the reward I was given for completing my mission." She began, pushing the book towards her friend. "Erza looked through the start and it's all in runes and I was thinking you could help me out." The blonde offered a sheepish smile. "I was up late trying to figure it out, but I just couldn't…" she sighed.

"I don't recognised this type of script…" Levy mumbled, her few words shattering Lucy's hopes in an instant. She stared at her friend with grief-stricken eyes.

"So you can't understand anything?!" she demanded, the sudden outburst catching everyone off guard as they stared at the blonde in shock. Levy shook her head and Lucy held hers in her hands. "This is hopeless." She moaned, willing herself not to cry as her shoulders began to tremble. She'd found a letter, a message from her late mother and she wouldn't even be able to read it if Levy couldn't understand the script it was written in. Erza moved over to her friend and patted her back.

"We'll find someone who can translate," she assured. "Don't work yourself up about this, Lucy."

Lucy lifted her head and took the letter out of her pocket, spreading it out on the desk. "This was also in the bag." She explained softly. "I know you can't read it, but I can make out the first and last lines-"

"_Dear Lucy…"_ Levy read aloud for her. _"Love…Layla Heartfilia?!"_

"Maybe it's got something to do with the key I found, I don't know." Lucy said sadly. "All I know is, this is the last thing I'll ever get from my mother and I'm going to find out what she wrote if it's the last thing I do." Determination gleamed in her eyes. "No matter what happens, I need to find out what this says…" she lifted up the paper and stared at it. _Should I…should I ask Father about it? _She wondered to herself. She frowned at the mention of Jude Heartfilia. Their relationship had only worsened since he'd had Phantom Lord attack Fairy Tail, but that was ages ago, surely more than just a few months. It felt like an eternity had passed since then. _Still…_ Lucy grasped the paper and pressed it to her chest. _Regardless of our relationship, he's still my Father, he's the only family I have left. _She lowered her gaze, recalling the image of her last encounter with him as he finally arrived at Love and Lucky after she'd rushed there thinking he had already gotten there when the Merchant Guild was thrown under attack. Maybe their relationship _had_ improved slightly and they'd left on a good note, but their bond needed a lot of work. "Maybe I could ask my Father…" she voiced her thoughts aloud to see how her friends would react.

Most of them scowled at the mention of the man.

"Maybe he knows something about it." She quickly added. "Or he could somehow find the contact details for Bero, my old Celestial Magic tutor." She smiled fondly as memories of her time studying with the normally shaking elderly man came back to her. Although Jude had employed the man merely for her education, she'd grown up under his teachings and she cared for him and all of the Heartfilia Konzern servants like a second family. "Maybe he'd also have some knowledge on the fact." She reached into her pouch of keys and brought out the newest and strangest addition. Erza exchanged glances with Mira, wondering whether or not to let the girl go. It was Lucy's decision as it was her father that she would be visiting, but none of them particularly liked the idea knowing of the sour relationship the two Heartfilia's had. They didn't know the exact details of Lucy's childhood but they did know that she'd been neglected by this man until he no longer had a company to care for. She felt blessed at the care everyone at Fairy Tail always gave her, they always made her feel loved and appreciated, nothing like how she felt back at her old estate. She knew Fairy Tail was now her home, yet her memories at the Heartfilia estate would always be with her.

"Why would you want to go visit him?" Natsu asked, almost seeming like he was glaring at her, but in reality the conversation they were currently having and the one they'd been having before she arrived had put him into a really sour mood. Lucy let out an exasperate huff of air before she turned to him.

"I just said he might know something about the letter my Mom left me, weren't you listening?"

"Oh, _right_, that. 'Course I was listening." He looked away and leant back in his chair, seeming uninterested to Lucy. In reality, he was still thinking about what Levy had told him about his comrade's apparent fear of fire and he was concentrating on how he could help her through it. It surely had to be just a phase that would pass, right? Lucy seemed offended by his reaction and also turned away. He was too immersed in his own thoughts to notice her change in moods.

"If you think it might help, I say give it a shot," Mira smiled. "But do you know where you'd be able to find him, Lucy?" she asked. Lucy nodded, smiling back.

"Love and Lucky," she answered. "The Guild my parents were a part of. It's a Merchant Guild a little while away from here. You can get there on foot. Erza, Grey, Happy and Natsu have been there after they ran after me that one time I thought Father was in trouble." She laughed. Erza nodded, recalling the event as well. "Anyway, I think I should get there as soon as I can if I want some answers." She tucked the key safely away along with the precious letter from her mother. "I know I just got back from a mission and all," she giggled softly as she caught sight of the remains from the crazy party only a mere few hours beforehand strewn across the Guild. "But it's still morning so I could just head out now." She stood up from her seat, tucking the book under her arm. "If that's alright with you guys, of course." She said, looking to Erza. "Unless we have some missions planned today." She added.

"No, go ahead, Lucy." The Weapon Mistress said. "Grey hasn't even arrived but if you're back soon enough we'll all go on a group mission if you'd like to accompany us." She offered. Lucy smiled at the proposal. After her solo mission, she knew it'd be nice to have the team by her side again, just like always. It was always comforting knowing they had her back and that she had theirs. Like Mira always said, maybe they were seen as Fairy Tail's "Strongest Team".

"Then I'll be off." Lucy decided. She'd prefer to get her answers sooner rather than later, as her patience levels had never been very high. She needed to know what Layla had left behind for her, she needed to know what this key was. She needed to know what her strange dreams meant…and she needed to know what her mother had written down but never mentioned in the time she was still with Lucy. "I'll see you all later! Bye guys-" The Stellar Mage turned to leave the Hall when a warm hand curled around her wrist. She flinched at the familiar feeling from the dream she'd only awaken from earlier that morning and looked to see who had grabbed her. It wasn't a cluster of cold, ruthless shadows solely focused on dragging her into a never ending darkness in the middle of a nightmare. It was Natsu, staring at her intently, lips formed into a frown and his eyes fierce. He was unhappy, or maybe angry would be a more accurate description. Maybe even seeming furious at the thought of her going alone after he'd seen her so terribly injured the first time around.

She'd returned with a fear of his Magic, saying he was worried she'd come back even worse was an understatement. The great, well-known Fire Mage Natsu "Salamander" Dragneel was _scared, _whether he liked to admit it or not. Scared that his closest friend would be terrified of _him_. He'd do anything to stop that from occurring. Anything. "The last time you went alone you got hurt." The Dragon Slayer reminded in a harsher tone than he realised he was using. It wasn't his fault, nor was it hers. It was just the memory of seeing her so heavily bandaged, seeing her crying in pain from her extensive injuries, it was sending him into a slowly growing blinding rage. Lucy tensed at the tone he was using and averted her gaze from meeting his as she tried to tug her way from his grasp.

"Natsu-" Erza warned, taking a step towards them. Mira was at her side, mimicking her actions.

"I'm fine, now, though." She responded, frowning. It felt like he was almost patronising her and she hated it. "Not a scratch. And I'll be fine now." She assured, anger bubbling inside her when he looked like he certainly didn't believe her words and tightened his grip on her. She finally allowed her eyes to meet his and winced slightly at the sharpness in his eyes. "If it was something from Igneel, what would you do?" Lucy countered, finally tearing her wrist from his grip.

He frowned, narrowing his eyes. "I wouldn't go it alone." He said.

Lucy scoffed. "You would and you know it. You're always going off by yourself on missions without telling anyone when hearing the smallest rumour about a supposed dragon sighting-"

"That's because Igneel is my _dad-_" He moved forward, raising his voice.

"And this is about _mine_ and my mother!" Lucy fired back.

"Natsu, Lucy, both of you need to breathe." Erza said, slowly and calmly pushing the two, whose faces were inches away from each other's, apart. "Natsu, you should respect her wishes. It's her journey and her own decision that she doesn't need our permission to make." She said. Natsu huffed but took a step back under her warning glare. She looked to Lucy. "Are you sure you don't want someone to go with you?" she asked. Lucy frowned, still glaring at Natsu. She shook her head.

"I'll be fine." She assured. "On my _own._" She said the last word with a bit of venom directed at her pink-haired friend before she said goodbye to the girls and headed out without another word.

Erza and Mira both turned to the Salamander. "She'll be fine, Natsu." Mira reminded. "She took on that Razor Fang Guild, didn't she? Her Spirits will look after her, just like then."

Natsu just got up and grumpily slumped away to find a couple of jobs to distract himself with until the blonde returned.

.

..

…

**A/N: Because protective Natsu is one of my favourite Natsu's. **


	14. Bittersweet Reunion

**A/N: Sorry for the wait, Fairytailllover, here you go! Thank you, Infinities Lover, happy you enjoyed! Thank you to both Guest reviewers! To Bentears, I don't think I could choose between Kick Ass Lucy and Protective Natsu but I love them both! Haha, Woobaby, indeed he did! Thank you sooo much, Melime14! Coolanime14, thank you! :D MASSIVE THANK YOU TO Wolf123! I can't believe you said everything you did, you have no idea how much you made my day with that review. I still can't believe it, obviously I think it's far from perfect but I'm so overwhelmed that you love it so much so far! I'll update you guys on any new upcoming Fairy Tail fics, if you want! You have no idea how honoured I am that you think this is the best fanfiction you've ever read since I know there are so many more amazing ones out there, so everything you said is just amazing, thank you so much. And you weren't be annoying, I'm flattered everyone keeps asking for more frequent updates but I update every Friday, unless I get a burst of inspiration then I'll have a chapter up earlier. It's updated weekly because of school and other commitments, sorry! x**

**102 FAVS AND 147 FOLLOWS! THANK YOU EVERYONE! **

**Bittersweet Reunion**

_Love and Lucky._

Lucy stared up at the Merchant Guild's sign, clearly delaying the moment she'd have to step inside the building. She'd read over the letters more than just a few times, spelling them out in her mind. _Love and Lucky. Love-and-Luc-ky. L-O-V-E A-N-D L-U-C-K-Y._ The Celestial Mage wasn't exactly certain on why she was putting off the simple task of entering this place. She recalled the last encounter she'd had with Jude Heartfilia, the man she was determined to meet with at this moment. It was here where they'd last seen each other. This was where her parents worked before her father began the Heartfilia Konzern business. This was where Layla and Jude had stood when a letter had fallen from the sign of the Guild. This was where they laughed about it, as Jude had stated they thought it was one of the funniest things in the world at the time. It was also where her name had been chosen as the sign had read _Love and Lucy_. She smiled in a saddened way at the bittersweet memory. So much had changed since that time. Had her father always been the businessman he was? Was he like that when Layla had met him? Or had he only changed into a neglecting man when the Heartfilia Konzern business really took off? Lucy shook her head. Now was not the appropriate time to be thinking about displeasing memories such as those. She was here to see her father as the new man she hoped he was. Maybe this entire ordeal over the past few months had really made him aware that money was not truly everything, and that there were more things to life.

She reached to push open the doors when they were already pulled inwards as someone from inside the Guild began to depart. She looked up and met her father's eyes, who blinked a few times, as if not believing it was really her. He pushed the doors back before his gaze focused back to her.

"Lucy…" Jude's mouth was agape in surprise at her presence. "Is that you?"

"Good afternoon, Father." Lucy replied, giving a slight nod to confirm his question. "I see you're doing better." She said, noticing how he'd returned to his normal look, his facial hair having been reverted back to the usual moustache of his and how his blonde locks had been trimmed, no longer a scruffy mess resting upon his shoulders. He was wearing one of the expensive suits she'd constantly seen him in during her childhood and she wondered if he'd sold any of them for some profit to help him get by. People would pay good money for the fancy, hand-made attire, she knew that for a fact. She was glad at his fresh appearance, seeing him like this cheered up her previously sour mood that had arrived soon after her fight with Natsu. Jude was doing well, getting by just fine it seemed. It'd been a few months after all. She wasn't aware of how such a thing could lift her spirits so high. Mr Heartfilia nodded at her statement, confirming it.

"Business is going much better than I expected." He informed as he glanced around the Merchant Guild, gesturing to it as he spoke. "I picked up some work quite quickly, as a matter of fact. It's a little slow, but I'm working with old partners your mother and I used to associate with. This is where it all started, after all." He said. Lucy nodded once more. This _was_ in fact where all his business propositions began coming in, where he began working his way up. "Aside from that, why are you here, Lucy?" He asked, arching an eyebrow. "Is something the matter?" he questioned. Lucy shifted uncomfortably as he looked to the large book under her arm. "What's that?"

"It's one of the reasons I came here today, father." The blonde-haired teenager answered simply. "I have a few things I need to speak with you about."

"Oh." Jude blinked a few times, peering at his daughter as he wondered about whatever it could be. He looked back to Love and Lucky before he began walking. "It'd be best if we speak in private, then." He decided. "I'll escort you to my home, it's a little while away from here." He informed. Lucy sighed in relief, she would rather that then having to converse about a sensitive topic revolving around the late Layla Heartfilia in public. Transferring the book into both of her arms, she hugged it against her chest, following after him, remaining silent. He chose not to speak either, knowing that if either attempted small talk it would make the air between them feel even more awkward.

Lucy had expected it to be like this, yet not as bittersweet as it felt.

**LINE BREAK**

She had also expected the house her father spoke of to be nothing fancy.

She was correct this time.

It was an old house a little while's walk away from Love and Lucky, seeming like an abandoned shack at first glance. Weeds grew through the cracks in the pavement and the stairs leading onto the porch were crumbling underneath Jude's weight as he stepped up them. The walls were thinly coated with a paint that was a faded dull grey. It seemed to be peeling on closer inspection. Lucy jolted as the wooden railing fell into pieces as her father so much as brushed against it. The floorboards of the porch creaked, making both Heartfilia's looked downwards with mirrored unease as a few squeaked in protest from the weight and one completely caved in, disappearing into the darkness underneath. Each step either person took elicited a groan from the timber. Lucy glanced around at the dried up grass surrounding the cottage and frowned. Untidy would be an understatement. If anything, the wild plants were bringing a splash of much needed colour to the area. She knew better than to judge so she kept her lips sealed as she was beckoned to enter the house. She dusted off the bottom of her boots on the welcome mat in order to refrain from tracking dirt inside before the blonde-haired girl looked up. She sighed with what she guessed was relief when she realised that the interior was much more pleasant that what remained outdoors.

The front entrance lead into the living area of the house, the room's layout basic enough to compare to what she'd seen at various client's houses. She was sure her father would've had a reality check after beginning to live in a place like this. The floorboards had been covered with an expanse of maroon carpet which complemented the white and amber patterned wallpaper. There was a single leather couch accompanied by two matching armchairs either side, all facing a stacked bookshelf resting against the wall. Across the room was, strangely enough, a hammock holding a few novels. Lucy peered at it for a moment before turning around on her heel, taking it the quality of the cleanness surrounding her. Not a speck of dirt was visible, not one strand of carpet undusted. Just as she was wondering who would have done such an amazing job –surely her father wasn't capable of this if he was as busy as he let on– a middle-aged woman entered with a broom in hand. Her familiar square-shaped face and dark purple hair was a welcoming sight as the Stellar Mage recognised her instantly.

"Ms. Supetto!"

At the sound of her name, the maid turned and her dark eyes widened.

It was as if time had repeated itself and Lucy was arriving at the Heartfilia Estate when the maid had been cleaning outside, the elder woman being the first to catch sight of her to alert the other members of staff. However no other former servants were seen this time. Dusting off her apron, the woman practically threw herself forward, ignoring the height difference, and hugged her mistress tightly, crying her name in complete joy. Lucy laughed at the gesture before returning it. "I didn't know you were still employed by my father." she said, smiling with a sense of fondness as the purple-haired woman began to cry at seeing the blonde after so long.

"I p-promised to always serve with your f-family," the maid babbled, dabbing at her eyes with a handkerchief. "Jude and Layla were so k-kind to take me in w-when I had n-no work o-opportunities all t-those years ago." she shook her head as they broke apart. "After the business was b-bought out, everyone was f-forced to move out of the e-estate, and Jude was k-kind enough to allow me to s-stay here, so I've been cleaning w-whenever it's been needed, f-free of charge." She explained. The youngest Heartfilia nodded in understanding. After years for serving for their family, Ms. Spetto had done a tremendous job whenever she was given a task to complete, living up to all the duties that came along with the profession she practiced. "I admit t-there's quite a l-lot to do in terms o-of outside…" she added, chuckling quietly alongside her mistress as they both glanced through one of the windows across from where they were standing. Jude stood in the doorway, watching the reunion with a smile of his own.

Lucy wasn't used to seeing him smile this much since her childhood.

Ms. Spetto looked from Jude to his daughter before she hurriedly regained her composure. "I-I'll make you two some tea!" she blurted, rushing off through a door which Lucy presumed lead to the kitchen. She took a seat on the leather couch, resting the ancient book on the armrest, sighing in relief as she no longer had to carry the heavy thing. It had been responsible for almost making her arms fall asleep because of its extreme weight. Jude sat down beside her, dusting off his hands on his trousers before he turned to look at her, waiting for her to speak. She offered a weak smile in return, tapping her fingers absentmindedly on her knees as she remained quiet, slightly impatient for the maid to return with the promised beverages.

This felt like it was going to be an awkward talk and she'd honestly feel quite a bit better with one of her favourite drinks in hand.

**LINE BREAK**

A grateful smile was sent Ms. Spetto's way as Lucy eagerly accepted the tea, thanking the woman and watching her go as the maid retreated off to another room to give the two privacy. Both Heartfilia's sipped their refreshments, the younger delaying the moment where she'd have to step forward (yet on this occasion only as a metaphor) for the second time that day.

"What would you like to talk about with me, Lucy?" Her father asked.

_Now or never, Lucy._ She told herself. Lucy rested the fine china back onto its saucer and cleared her throat.

"I returned from completing my first solo mission yesterday afternoon, Father." She informed, giving a small smile as he leaned forward in surprise and legitimate interest, something she'd never received from him before. "I'm sure you were aware of the Dark Guild being brought through town by the Magic Council…" she waited for him to nod and confirm her suspicions. "…well I was the one who apprehended them, alongside my Celestial Spirits, of course." A soft blush graced her cheeks as he looked at her in a way he'd never done so in the past...with _pride_. His expression showed how he was feeling towards her and she realised that he was actually _proud_ of her for once.

"Truly?" he asked, leaning back in his seat in what she guessed as shock, though he quickly regained his composure. "That's a tremendous effort, Lucy. I heard of their strength, and I…" he trailed off for a moment, consumed within his own thoughts before he looked to her again. "You're truly turning out like Layla…" He said, half to himself. Lucy flinched at the mention, yet he did not seem to notice. "She'd be proud, you should be proud as well." At his words, Lucy lowered her gaze, staring at her blurred reflection in the tea, wondering if she could ever _really_ live up to the greatness her mother once achieved as a Stellar Mage herself. Even if she resembled her mother so beautifully and had been gifted with some of her past Spirits, she knew she couldn't compare, even begin to. _Was that really one of the reasons I decided to join a Guild? _She asked herself, feeling sadness plague her heart as it always did whenever she reminisced about the late Layla Heartfilia. _To live up to the legacy she left behind? To stand in her place for the sake of Capricorn, Cancer and Aquarius, as they were handed to me as soon as she passed? Am I trying to be like her? Am I?_

"Please continue, Lucy." Jude's voice broke her from her own inner monologue. _Right, what was I saying again?_ She wondered before gathering her thoughts as she remembered what she was talking about.

"Apart from my reward money, I was also gifted with something else." She said. "I came across a strange Celestial Key and after arriving home, I found two other strange things included with the jewels I was given." She passed the strange book over to her father and held up the latest addition to her Gate Key collection. "I couldn't find anything out about whatever Spirit this key opens the gate to." She sighed. "And I can't read anything in that book so it's practically useless to me…" Lucy then carefully brought out the letter she'd been treasuring since the moment she became aware of its presence. She pressed it into her father's hands, watching to see his reaction once he read it. "It's in the same foreign runes as the book is." She murmured. "And, as you can see, only the first and last line are in English-"

"_Dear Lucy…"_ Jude read. _"Love…Layla Heartfilia…" _He went still, blinked a few times, and read it again. "She…you're saying that Layla wrote this?!" He demanded. Lucy slowly nodded, her eyes widening as she saw his hands trembled as he grasped the paper tightly. "Why…" he muttered. "Why would Layla…why would your mother leave you a letter in a language you can't read?!"

"That's why I'm here…" Lucy responded calmly, knowing that her own reaction and thoughts were practically being replayed right before her eyes. "I…I believed that maybe you would know something about this…maybe if you knew if she'd written it sometime ago or-"

"I'm…I'm sorry, Lucy." Jude sighed, shaking his head in despair as he gave the letter back. "I truly have no clue of the contents of this, I had no idea this letter even existed until today." He said. She clutched the paper to her chest, feeling her throat tighten at the newfound information. Just like that, Lucy's hopes slowly faded away into nothingness. If he couldn't help her, who could? No one else would've been there to see her write the message, right? She looked to the man beside her. She noticed how his shoulders drooped in sadness, alike to her own, and emotion flickered in his gaze. Depression and grief paired well together behind his dark orbs, she knew that especially well from experience in seeing both feelings. She'd seen that look in her own eyes before, many more times then she'd ever care to admit over the years.

"Then…" Lucy's voice was much softer now, her father straining to hear it. Defeat was laced through her words, she could hear it herself, loud and clear. "…do you have any way of contacting Bero? An address or something alike to that? I believe with his vast knowledge of Celestial Magic, he might know something about this key…maybe something about the runes in the letter." She said, hoping her last option would be her most useful.

"Bero…I haven't heard from him since the company was bought out."

She had gotten her hopes up for no reason, obviously. She looked away, unsure of how to act in response. What could she do now? She'd made absolutely no progress and all of her options so far had given her nothing useful. She needed to figure out what this message said like she needed to breathe, but learning anything about the book, key _and_ letter seemed impossible.

The Grandfather Clock in the far corner of the living space chimed thrice, breaking through the tense silence while jolting Lucy slightly. She glanced towards it, smiling faintly as she read the time, imagining Horologium saying it himself in her mind. _The time is exactly three o'clock. _She bit her lip to stop herself from letting a small laugh escape as the thought seemed to brighten her spirits slightly.

"Lucy, you should know something else, even if it's not related to our current topic of conversation." Jude suddenly spoke up again, catching her attention. "Although most the money gained from Heartfilia Konzern has been taken after it was bought, I still deposited a great deal away for you after you left as your inheritance." He brought out a slip of paper and pressed it into her hands. "You'll be unable to gain access to it until you're eighteen years of age, but I know you'll put it to good use." He patted her shoulder affectionately as she unfolded the paper and found directions to the bank where he'd placed the jewels.

"Father-" she began, astounded.

"I'm not asking you to attempt to buy back the company, but my will had been written before it was bought out, so some finances are still left over for you as you are the only heir to the old fortune." He explained. "If there is anything I want, it is for us to keep the estate in good shape." He sighed as he remembered the day the angelic statue resembling his late wife was taken away and her grave had to be moved. "It is your childhood home, after all." He said, though he didn't need to remind her. Her fondest memories of her mother had all come from that mansion and she wouldn't let it be forgotten…yet it'd take a large sum of money to gain ownership of it once again, they both knew that fact well. Jude then checked his watch, abruptly rising from his seat. "I have to get back to work, my apologies, Lucy." He said

Lucy nodded and rose as well. "It's fine." She said. "I have to get back in order to catch the train back to Magnolia in time." She set her tea down on the coffee table, regretting she'd let it gone cold. Hugging the book to her chest and tucking the letter and key safely away, she faced her father. "Goodbye, Father." She whispered. He nodded, moving to the door to open it for her.

"If you chose to visit again sometime…" he let the sentence die out as she simply nodded.

"I'll find some time." She promised. "When you're not working."

They both nodded at each other and she turned away, carefully making her way down the fragile set of porch steps before walking away from the house.

Their conversation had gone for much longer than she had expected, judging by the sun's placing in the sky. It was hard to believe she'd spent enough time there to leave just before sundown. Lucy shook her head, staring down at the ground as she walked, leaving her father's property behind and journeying along the cobblestone road as she headed towards the train station.

Then, just as she'd purchased her train ticket, she turned and called out to Happy, who jumped in surprise, not knowing that she'd seen him.

She'd noticed a blur of blue tailing after them as her father lead her back to his new home, yet had dismissed it as her imagination until she saw a glimpse of white, what she guessed were the exceed's wings. He came out of his hiding place as she knelt down, meeting his height, almost. "Did the others send you after me?" she questioned, baffled as to why he'd bother following her here. Happy shuffled in a slightly guilty fashion as he averted his gaze. Lucy sighed and offered a tired smile. "It's fine, Happy. I'm just about to leave, anyway." She said. "Come on, we're going home."

"Sorry, Lucy…" he mumbled as they boarded the train. "We were worried because-"

"It's fine, Happy." She repeated. "It's alright."

Happy closed his mouth and sat on the chair beside her, keeping quiet as more passengers began to fill up the booths around them.

**LINE BREAK **

"I'm sorry~!" Happy wailed as he flew into the Guild with a despaired expression, flying straight into Mira's arms as Lucy entered soon after. Her friends blinked up in surprise at her arrival and realised that she'd probably seen the exceed while he was "being a ninja." Erza murmured something about Mira paying up as the two women had bet on the likelihood of the cat being spotted. The Weapon Mistress had clearly one, stating a few moments after Happy had left on his "mission" that he would be found out. Mira seemed to sulk slightly as she comforted the blur of blue in her arms.

"You didn't need to send him to spy on me." Lucy laughed, waving her hand in the air. "I was just visiting my Dad, it's not like he was gonna kidnap me or anything."

"Sorry about that, Lucy." Mira spoke on behalf of their friends. "It was wrong of us-"

"No harm done." Lucy assured before she looked to the pink-haired Fire Mage who had moved beside her. "Sorry about yesterday." She added quietly, deciding to be the first to say it to clear the air between them.

He blinked up at her in confusion before collecting his thoughts. "Nah, it was my fault," He said, shaking his head. "Don't say sorry, I should be saying that. Oh, yeah, about that," he chuckled, remembering what he had planned to say from the moment she came in. "Sorry Lucy, I-"

"It's fine." She said, causing him to break out into a smile. She'd been assuring people quite a lot today, hadn't she?

"Cool?" he asked, raising his hand, extending his arm towards her. She nodded and they laced their fingers together in the air, squeezing tight. They smiled before retracting their hands and slapping them in a high-five. "So…" Natsu began, lifting a flyer up in the air. He grinned as she took the paper from his grasp and looked over it. "Happy and I thought we should go on a job since we left you hanging last week." He explained, waiting as she read the request. "We don't even have to go that far out of town, it's just a half hour long walk, we'll be right."

"Natsu chose the one with the smallest amount of transportation~!" Happy sang in a teasing voice, causing Natsu to turn and glare at him.

"Did not!" He argued. "I just thought if Lucy had been riding a train more than once today that she wouldn't wanna go on another!"

"You're lying!" Happy laughed. "You just don't wanna get motion sickness!"

"Does it really matter?" Lucy asked, giggling at their childish argument.

"It doesn't matter." Natsu shook his head, grasping the Celestial Mage's wrist. "Let's just go, already!"

"Aye!" Happy cheered.

"Come on!" Natsu hollered as he headed out into the early afternoon air, pulling Lucy along behind him as the two of them laughed, the blonde-haired girl waving the request above their heads in a joking matter. "We'll be back soon!" The Dragon Slayer yelled as a farewell.

"I like it when they're not fighting." The Take-Over Mage sighed as soon as the group were out of earshot.

"Yes." Erza nodded in agreement. "So do I."

The two S-Class Mages turned their attention back towards the original "Team Natsu" and watched as the three of them disappeared into the sunset with content smiles.

.

..

…


	15. Unstable and Unbalanced

**A/N: Nothing helps you get through an assignment faster than a can of Pepsi by your side and Guren no Yumiya (the first opening of Shingeki no Kyojin/Attack on Titan) blasting through your headphones. (**_**THEY ARE THE PREY AND WE ARE THE HUNTERS!) **_**Okay, maybe many other things could help but for some reason listening to fast-paced music helps me. If you feel like sharing whatever helps you get through essays and whatnot, feel free to do so. Sorry for the late update, my reason for such is from the assignments, essays and exams I've had to complete this week and homework and it's given me no time for writing. On top of that, when I finally got time to write, I found one of my worst nightmares waiting to be awakened.**

**Writer's block. It's frustrating me so much because I think I know what I want to happen and then when I finally write something it's just…asdfghjkl. It's irritating. Sorry for lateness and shortness. Hopefully I'll get over this Writer's Block before Friday for the next chapter.**

**Thank you to Rose's Shadow, yeah, it's just like you said! XD Glad you're enjoying Happy, Bentears! Haha, yeah we do, Infinities Lover! Thanks, Coolanime14! I'm trying to add more moments like that for you, Rapunzel3! Sorry for the wait, Erza's Cake! Wolf123, I'm so indescribably happy for everything you've said! May or may not still believe that this is the "best fanfic you've ever read" but if so, that's a really amazing honour and I'm grateful. Sorry for the wait for last chapter, but it's nice to know who's eager! I'm really sad that Lucy won't see her old staff again, so it's cool that someone else enjoys seeing Spetto back! Even if only in this fanfic! And as for your fic, well it'd be nice to know what it's about, as in what fandom if it's not Fairy Tail and the summary if that's okay. And as for the OC you wanted me to add, I'd like to know more about him, because personalities and appearances are important to me in terms of describing them to my readers, and I've got a Dragon Slayer OC already in Falling Stars, but tell me about Kira and your fanfic!**

**Thank you for the 115 Favs and 159 Follows! x**

**Unstable and Unbalanced**

"How did they even end up there?" Natsu was asking in between fits of laughter as he, Lucy and Happy recollected on the mission they'd returned from a few hours ago, the evening before. "H-He…oh my g-god, ahaha!" Tears were in the corners of his eyes as they'd spent their morning snickering and chuckling together on their journey towards Fairy Tail. "And…and s-she was in a tree! H…How? I-" he lost it again, throwing his head back as he roared with laughter at the memory.

"I don't even know!" Lucy covered her mouth with her hand in an attempt to supress her own giggling. She felt bad for making fun of the poor kids who found themselves lost in the woods, the children they'd had to rescue on their job out of town. But they'd found it hilarious, seeing how they'd found them hiding in the strangest of places, one girl somehow having managed to climb one of the tallest trees in the forest. This grand feat had confused the wizards, in terms of how she'd gotten up so high and why she'd done so in the first place. Happy had flown himself and Natsu up to bring the child down to safety, but she'd freaked out at the sight of a flying cat and kicked the Dragon Slayer he was carrying in the face. The end result sent him ungracefully out of Happy's grasp and tumbling down through a mass of branches until he'd landed on top of an unsuspecting Celestial Mage at the foot of the tree.

"_How the hell did she even get up there?" asked a very confused Natsu Dragneel late one March afternoon. He looked at his team mates for guidance on the matter before lifting his head to resume staring upwards in awe at the little girl residing in the treetops high above them. Natsu, Happy and Lucy wore similar expressions of surprise and slight amusement on the exceed's behalf as they wondered to themselves. "And why the hell is she even up there?" Natsu had no idea why this girl in her right mind would climb such a great distance only to realise how blindly terrified on heights she was, judging by her facial expression. Furthermore, he also didn't know why she was even up there in the first place, since according to their mission, she and a few other brats had gotten lost in the woods they were currently standing in. _

"_Maybe she's scared of a monster somewhere around here!" supplied Happy._

_Lucy gave him a quizzical expression as Natsu looked eager for a fight._

"_Whatever the case, we need to get her down." Lucy said, turning her head to meet her comrade's gaze. "Natsu, you and Happy go up and get her, I'll look for the other kids."_

"_On it!" Natsu responded, looking to Happy, who saluted in response before grasping the back of the pink-haired boy's vest, lifting the two of them into the air. The blonde watched them fly upwards before looking around, wondering on where she should start searching for the remaining children. _

_Using Max Speed, the duo had reached the stranded child in no time at all, but she didn't seem relieved in the slightest when she looked up. "Hey." Natsu greeted, raising his hand to wave to the youngster. "I'm Natsu Drag-"_

"_KYAAA~!" the girl screeched at the sight of them, causing the Dragon Slayer to wince and cover his ears at the horrid noise. This happened to leave him open for attack, in this instance, open to get kicked directly in the face. The force of said attack apparently startled Happy and caused him to drop his passenger, who fell with a sudden shout of surprise as he began his descent through a cluster of branches. Happy cried out an apology while covering his mouth with his paws at the sight, stifling laughter as his partner continued tumbling towards the earth, branches scraping at his torso, arms and face. Lucy looked up at the sound of her comrade's screaming and ran towards the foot of the tree to see what was going on._

_This was when Natsu came into view, wildly flapping his arms as he cried, "LOOK OUT!" _

_A startled yelp of surprise and discomfort left Lucy's lips as soon as the Fire Mage landed. A muffled groan was heard on his behalf as his face came into contact with the ground with a sudden harshness, however the rest of his body had landed on something much softer. His chest had crushed against his partner's as he completely fallen on top of her, the wizard below him gasping for air under his weight. Lucy attempted to push Natsu off of herself with great difficulty. His head shifted slightly, salmon-coloured locks brushing against her own blonde strands as he lifted his face from the ground and wiped the dirt off of it._

"_That hurt…" he whined as he sat up. Then he looked down and his lips curved into a grin as he realised who had softened his landing. "Nice catch, Lucy!"_

"_Just get off of me!"_

"You crushed Lucy!" Happy was snickering as he flew in the air beside them.

Natsu seemed to pout at this and fold his arms. "It was an accident!"

"An accident which squashed her!"

"I said I was sorry!"

"Yeah, you did." Lucy added with a chuckle. "After you _finally_ got off of me."

Happy continued sniggering as they entered the Guild, shaking his head.

"Morning, you three." Mirajane greeted as the trio strolled into the Hall. Grey, Erza and Wendy sat at the bar and exchanged smiles and waves with their team mates. "How was the mission yesterday?"

The group shared a few laughs before they composed themselves.

"Piece of cake! We just had to find some kids lost in the woods!" cheered Natsu, raising his hand and giving the group a thumbs-up. "It was over pretty quick and the pay was good." He grinned. "So we went out and ate at this cool place!"

"They spent most of their share of the reward on their dinner." Lucy laughed as she watched Happy reminisce about all the fish he devoured.

"Speaking of which," said Erza. "What about your reward from the King and Queen of Constellar?"

"Yeah, what did you do with all those jewels?" Happy inquired.

"Well, it was actually a lot of money." Lucy said, scratching her head. "I paid my rent for the next three months before depositing the rest in the bank in town. I could probably pay rent for the next couple of years, actually." She chuckled as she remembered her initial reaction once she received the hefty reward. "But I want to save it up, maybe something major could happen and I'd been in need of something like that. For now, it's best to have it somewhere safe."

"That's a wise choice to make, Lucy." Erza said, smiling in approval at the decision. Lucy nodded, opening her mouth to say more when Levy called her name. The Celestial wizard turned and saw her friend calling her over, so with a glance to her comrades, who nodded, allowing her to leave the conversation, she headed over.

"Morning, Levy-chan." Lucy greeted as she sat down beside her.

"I was thinking," the blue-haired girl blurted out. "Who exactly gave you the reward, again? For your solo mission?"

_Right off the bat, huh?_ Lucy laughed, knowing something like this would've kept Levy up at night, something unsolved. "The King and Queen of Constellar w-"

"That's it!" Levy exclaimed. "They must obviously know something about the letter if they gave you it and that strange book, _and_ if they requested a Celestial wizard!"

"I'm not sure," Lucy admitted. "I mean, their ancestors were Celestial Mages so I thought it'd only be _natural_ that-"

"But there's only one Celestial wizard in Fairy Tail and that's you!" Levy stressed. "If we want to figure out what all of this means, then we must consider all options when coming to whoever might know something." She said. "If they knew nothing about the letter or book, why would they miraculously end up with your reward money? The additional weight you and Erza said you felt was there since you received the bag, so maybe we need to contact the King and Queen back in Constellar to solve this mystery!" She cried. Lucy bit back a smile, knowing how much the bookworm enjoyed things like these, especially from all of the crime novels she enjoyed reading. "Don't you want to be finding out what's in that letter, or what Spirit-"

"One thing at a time, Lev." Lucy responded, placing a hand on the girl's shoulder. "Don't get worked up about this, that's my job." She grinned, shaking her head. "Of course I want to find out what everything means, but I'm trying to stay calm about it for now." She said. "I'm taking things one at a time, okay? Since the Celestial Gate Key was the first thing I found, I'm trying to figure out its mystery before I start on the others."

"But there's no harm in contacting the King and Queen, right?" Mira suggested. "They might know more than you think, Lucy. I'll go and ask Master Makarov about setting up a Lacrima connection, if you'd like." She offered.

"You'd do that?" Lucy asked, causing the Take-Over Mage to smile and nod. "Thank you, Mira!" the Stellar Mage said as she went off in search of their Guild Master.

"Are you happy now, Levy-chan?" Lucy asked the blue-haired girl, who laughed and nodded. "Good. So what do you want to do about the Celestial Gate Key? I don't even know what type of Spirit it could be."

"Why don't you just summon it, then?" Natsu asked as he and the others joined in on their conversation, pulling up chairs of their own.

"I need to know its name first." Lucy sighed, exasperated. "Whenever I summon Loke, I have to announce that it's his Gate I'm opening by chanting his name, don't I?"

"Oh yeah." Natsu chuckled, remembering.

"Just say 'Open, Gate of the Celestial Spirit', or something!" Happy supplied.

"It's not that easy." Lucy groaned. "It's more complex than that…" she trailed off, thinking. "But…" she looked to the exceed who grinned in response. The Stellar Mage hummed, tapping her chin as she leant back in her chair. Her comrades watched, waiting for her to come to a conclusion on whatever she was pondering about.

Suddenly she curled her fingers into fists and slammed them onto the table. "Maybe I_ could_ summon the Spirit!" she cheered.

"I thought you didn't know its name," Grey said, scratching his head as he peered at her with a perplexed expression.

"I don't!" Lucy nodded, laughing. "But hey, I've got part of its name so it's worth a shot!"

"Aye!" supplied an encouraging Happy, glad his idea was being taken into account. "What's the worst that could happen?"

"Nothing bad can happen from attempting to open a gate to the Celestial Realm." Lucy assured, patting the exceed's head. "All that can happen is either it opens or it doesn't. If it doesn't, then I guess we'll have to figure something out." She twirled the Gate Key around in her hand with a certain expert look about it as she turned to Grey and Erza. "Coming along?" she asked, watching as her team mates exchanged glances before both rising from their stools.

"Of course." Erza smiled. "But where do you plan on summoning the Spirit?"

"I don't know how big or small it might be." Lucy shrugged. "So maybe outside, just to be safe about it." She said. Erza and Grey nodded in agreement, her friends rising from their seats as she turned to leave the Guild Hall. Pushing the front doors open, they walked outside. Levy decided to follow as well, the wizards wandering into a larger opening in the street until Erza decided there was enough space for the blonde to begin.

"Whenever you're ready, Lucy!" Grey called.

"Aye!" Happy hollered.

She nodded in response. "Here goes nothing, I guess. Open!" Lucy chanted the command with all the confidence she could muster. Gold flared from the object, stardust beginning to appear in the air around them. A disc of Magic formed beneath her feet and immediately stretched over the stone the Mages stood upon, the light illuminating each of them. Natsu and Happy looked excited, yet Erza, Grey and Levy seemed anxious. They knew this summoning wouldn't be like the normal Spirits their friend had contracts with. Instantly Lucy could sense something was wrong as the tug of dimensions began to affect her more tremendously than ever before. The ritual she completed almost every day felt strange, for the first time, and strenuous. Coldness spread from the fingers closed around the object and through her arm, crawling throughout the inside of her limb, numbing the muscle. "Gate of the Celestial Spirit-" A spasm of pain suddenly ricocheted through her bones and she let out a pained gasp, clutching her side as the arm she was holding out began to tremble.

"Lucy!" Happy called in worry, flying towards her. Her teammates watched in confusion, stepping forwards themselves as Lucy squeezed an eye shut and grimaced.

"I'm fine!" she called out with weak reassurance.

"Are you okay, Lu-chan?!" Levy asked, moving backwards as the stardust quickly began to swirl in a dangerous fashion as tornado of mixed Magic. She covered her mouth and coughed, continuing to step away.

"Is the connection too unstable?" Erza yelled, yet she received no answer as her comrade pushed on.

Lucy made a strained expression as the light beneath her began to shoot sparks into the air in crazed bursts of electricity. Darkness was creeping into her vision, making the world around her a haze of blackness. "G-Gate of the Celestial Spirit!" she panted as her chest began to tighten. When had breathing become such a difficult task? The chill inside her bones was spreading, surging through her chest and freezing her heart from the inside as her legs could no longer support her. She fell to her knees with a gasp, closing her eyes. The tension in her muscles was fading, alike to her consciousness. "Ste…Stell…Stellar…" a blast of gold shot from the Gate Key as it flew from the wizard's hands and she slumped to the ground. Natsu, Erza, Grey and Levy immediately ran to her aid as Happy flew after the golden item with a surge of speed.

Erza held a hand under her unconscious friend's head, bringing her limp form into a sitting position as she checked the blonde over. Natsu, Grey and Levy were saying things all at once, searching for a sign of the girl's awakening, pleading for a response. The scarlet-haired woman rested a metallic, gloved hand over Lucy's forehead, eyes widening as she noticed the signs she'd only ever seen once, in an event that had frightened her to no ends. She didn't want to go through this all over again, but they were closer here to help than they had been during the battle against Gajeel and Juvia's old Guild the year before.

"Get Master Makarov! Tell him Lucy needs immediate medical attention!" She ordered to the three crowded around their fallen comrade. "Alert him that her Magic Power has been drained, and tell him to contact Porlyusica!" she exclaimed. Her friends looked at her in shock before she shouted, _"NOW!"_ and sent them scrambling towards Fairy Tail, shouting for the Guild Master to get Porlyusica before they were even in earshot of any of the members inside Fairy Tail. The Weapon Mistress looked down at her Nakama and lifted the younger girl into her arms, beginning to journey towards to Guild herself. "You're going to be alright, Lucy, I promise you that." She assured, even though she was aware the Celestial wizard couldn't hear her. "Porlyusica healed Master Makarov from the same problem, and she can do the same for you. You'll be fine."

Now was she assuring Lucy or herself?

.

..

…


	16. The Road to Recovery

**A/N: 173 Followers and 125 Favs, thank you everyone! And also thank you for over a hundred reviews!**

**I'm sorry for chapters being consciously late, but I've got so much school work to do right now and I'm slightly stressed, but I'll still update, don't worry. If they're a little late, I apologize, but I have work to do. **

**So thank you for the reviews and support, Bentears, clumzybeans, and Alaina Kuski! Also to Guest, (thank you, I'll take that as a compliment~), cocopuff123, Daddys little crazy bitch, and coolanime14! Thank you, Dark Shining Light, (I'm trying to keep them in character, but thank you, that means a lot! I can clearly imagine that happening!). Thank you, and I'm looking forward to it, Wolf123! Rose's Shadow, you were spot on! Yep, the Celestial Spirit is a she, and the reason Lucy's magic was drained was because you need a looot of energy for this Spirit, the reason why will be explained soon! I love Porlyuica too! Thanks for answering my question, we kinda have the same thing going on, and I agree, music helps! **

**Thank you to everyone for the support!**

**The Road to Recovery**

"Lucy…"

The name of the girl came out in a saddened, hesitant tone as Happy spoke, concern evident in his eyes.

Team Natsu stood close by Lucy's bed where she rested far from peacefully underneath her blankets in Porlyusica's home, deep in the woods on the outskirts of Magnolia. The cottage was far away from humanity, something the healer desired to be a fair distance from. The woman with a self-proclaimed hatred of humans had glared at them with distaste upon their arrival, yet grudgingly allowed them to stay, knowing well enough they'd be stubborn on leaving their Nakama's side. Seeing the blonde-haired girl collapse as she did had instilled a great deal of worry within the Fairy Tail wizards, their initial reaction being to keep her within sight at all times. They were keeping close watch on her distressed features, unsure of what else they could do.

A positive, small, but a positive none the less out of this ordeal was that their Celestial Mage had not gained an unnatural tinge about her. This was unlike Master Makarov, who had turned a pale green after suffering from the Metsu spell cast upon him several months back. Other than that, Lucy was suffering just as much as their Guild Master had been, in obvious discomfort. It could have even been described as anguish, judging by her pained countenance. Happy sat beside the girl, paws resting on the pillow supporting her head as he watched her. The golden Key responsible for this entire experience was closed tightly in one of Erza's hands in fury at their uselessness, her arms tightly crossed, though she was careful not to crush the object in her grasp. It'd break Lucy's heart if it was damaged in the slightest, for this precious item was part of the mystery surrounding the message the late Layla Heartfilia had left for her daughter.

"So what's _she_ doing?" Natsu asked, breaking the short silence that had fallen upon them. He turned, peering quizzically at the healer across the room, narrowing his eyes as he observed her work silently. He crinkled his nose at the stench of whatever substances she was combining. They certainly didn't seem like something that would aid Lucy's condition, the smell was implying they'd do something else, maybe even _worsen_ her condition. Grey shook his head as if reading the Dragon Slayer's thoughts just by watching his deadly stare at the apparent "medicine" or whatever it was in the process of its creation. Porlyusica said nothing at Natsu's words, but frowned at hearing them before she resumed ignoring the humans that she desperately wanted to leave.

"She's making another batch of one of her Magic solutions." Erza explained. "It's the same medicine she gave to Master Makarov when he was in this situation. It restores Magic Power."

"Oh..." Natsu mumbled, folding his arms as he looked back to Lucy, a soft frown gracing his features. "Will Lucy be alright soon?"

"_Tsk."_ Porlyusica muttered under her breath, sending a sharp glare at the Dragon Slayer, who seemed unfazed by the action. "The girl had a severe drain in Magical Power, _boy_, I expect you should know as a wizard how that drastically affects health." It was as if she were patronising him, her tone far from polite. "If you hadn't gotten her here sooner, she'd be on her deathbed. However, that could change at any given moment." She added carelessly, not wavering once, as if the topic of death was one that did not affect her. Fury burst through the patient's close friends' veins. The woman's words angered the group to no ends, yet the two elder wizards knew if they only argued with this woman, it would help Lucy in no possible way.

"Then why the hell aren't you making your stupid potion faster?!" blurted Natsu, charging towards the healer before Grey and Erza both yanked him backwards. He strained against them, while his comrades held him back silently, listening to the woman's words with serious expressions. Natsu, however, was just intent of giving this lady a piece of his mind. He wouldn't let her get away with speaking in such a manner about his precious friend. How _dare_ she speak of Lucy dying like it was nothing? How _dare_ she? "Can't you hurry up or something?!" He demanded.

"It takes time, stupid human." Porlyusica grumbled, focusing her attention back to her solution.

Natsu was practically snarling at her response, muscles tensing, itching for a fight. No one was allowed to speak about someone important to him like that. Grey rolled his eyes. If the 'Ash brain' wanted to blow off some steam, it'd be better if it wasn't directed at the woman they needed to look after their friend. "Drop it, Natsu." Erza warned. "Calm down this instant, or _you'll_ be the one needing a healer." She loosened her grip slightly when he stopped struggling, yet her hands remained curled tightly around his arms in case of another outburst.

Grey mimicked her actions, watching his rival with a careful eye. "Don't do anything stupid, dumbass." He muttered. "You want Lucy to get better or what?" His words caused the pink-haired wizard to grind his teeth together, Erza and the Ice Mage taking that as a cue to let him go and allow him time to cool off.

Natsu grumbled _"stupid old hag"_ angrily under his breath with a glare in Porlyusica's direction, clenching his fists. He sent one glance towards Lucy, baring his teeth before stomping outside. Happy followed after him with a longing glance at Lucy, hesitant to leave her side. The door slammed shut behind them and their comrades watched the exceed fly after the Dragon Slayer storming further into the woods.

If anything, the Medicinal Advisor of Fairy Tail seemed pleased at Natsu's sudden departure. _She's probably glad for his absence since that means there's one less human to deal with,_ Grey mused. He turned to look at the elderly woman as she continued to work. _This feels like it's going to be a long day._

**LINE BREAK**

"Stupid old granny, thinkin' she can act like that just 'cause she helped Gramps once or twice." Natsu's lips were curved into a frown, eyes dark with fury as he muttered angrily under his breath as he tore through the forest. His temper had always been short, but as of recent, everything had seemed to tick him off more easily, more frequently. The elderly woman's heartless comments weren't the only things fuelling the fire of his anger. This entire thing revolving around the Gate Key Lucy stumbled across, along with the ancient book and the letter written in foreign runes, all of it was so confusing. Why would someone write a letter in a language the receiver couldn't understand? It was completely frustrating, for the fact that Lucy was frustrated and that made him in turn feel the same way. Everyone else believed that she was cool and collected at the moment, but no one could read a certain Celestial Mage like he could.

That was just their bond, how they worked. He could sense whenever she was feeling a certain way and vice versa. They just _clicked_ in a way no one else in the Guild did.

That was how he knew how badly these mysteries surrounding Layla Heartfilia tore her up inside.

They hadn't spoken about it, throughout his years at the Guild, Erza had warned him that talking to a girl about something that could upset them was something dangerous to do. It was a sensitive topic, so if he wanted to discuss it with his partner, he'd have to be…considerate. But there were so many things he needed to talk with her about and all of them settled into the category of "dangerous emotional ground", as he liked to call it. And Natsu wasn't necessarily good at feelings or speaking about them at all...but…

Everything had gone downhill after Lucy's solo mission. That's where all this anger routed from. His anger had begun growing when he learnt about what that Dark Guild had done to so many innocent people. It turned into a fury as he found out the torment the Dragon Slayer Erin had gone through because of them. It then changed into a storm of blinding range when Lucy had been so badly injured as a result of fighting against them…and then she'd developed a fear of fire. Her apparent phobia hadn't been a problem so far, except for that small scene in the Guild, but other than that, he hadn't used his Magic whenever she was near. He still had no clue on how he could fight without scaring her.

Why was everything so strange now?

Lisanna was back. His childhood friend was back from the dead. He should have been happy these past few weeks, in fact he _had_ been. Ecstatic, even, upon her return. The celebrations lasted for an entire week before Master Makarov said they were spending too much money on booze and streamers. The youngest Strauss had only been back for almost three weeks, but the spirits at Fairy Tail were still sky-high. Now thinking about it, he'd barely seen Lucy during that period in time at all, if he had caught a glimpse of blonde hair there. He'd spent most of the celebration spending time with Lisanna. She'd come back from the dead, after all, it wasn't a crime to catch up on things.

Natsu shook his head as his thoughts returned to the event that had occurred less than an hour ago. He'd really appreciate it if this whole mystery was solved quickly so Lucy wouldn't get hurt again.

"Natsu…" Happy mumbled as he finally caught up with the Dragon Slayer, who had stopped walking to angrily stare at the ground as he lost himself in his thoughts. "Will Lucy be alright?"

"She better be." Natsu hissed, turning to scowl in the direction of the elderly woman's treehouse with a certain aggression. "If that old lady doesn't help her…"

He didn't finish the sentence as he headed further into the expanse of trees to let out his anger through his flaming fists.

The threat was still hanging in the air.

Happy knew that.

**LINE BREAK **

Soft, gentle murmurings surrounded her in the haze provided from her Magic depletion. Strange strings of words and phrases sounded close, belonging to voices she did not know and could not place. They blended in within one another in a tornado of untranslatable speech. Lucy felt an aching in her head and in her bones, unsure as to why, though. The residue of what felt like ice encasing her left a numbness throughout her form, but the Celestial Mage was left in the dark. _Why am I so cold? Why can't I move? _Her questions remained unanswered, her memory not all quite there as she struggled to open her eyes. Such simple tasks had never been so difficult as of recent, had they? Her fingers slowly twitched, and that was the restraint of the girl's movement. Nothing else seemed to respond to her commands, her limbs remaining still and stiff. Her fingers twitched again in an attempt to gain more mobility of her hand, her fingertips brushing against something that felt solid, yet crumbled slightly at her touch. Dirt. She was laying on the ground in some strange state on the verge of unconsciousness, she believed. Unless she was dreaming once again, having one of the unexplainable visions once more.

"…_starting…all right…too much…body to bear…she…"_

Her eyes finally fluttered open, most likely at her surprise for finally grasping onto some faint words.

"…_couldn't even…her….could...we're…"_

Then she stared upwards in complete surprise. The lights and stars of the familiar realm sparkled about her, yet they seemed strange. There were there, but not quite completely, fading in and out of existence every few heartbeats. There was a certain transparency to the world around her, and as it flashed and faded, the place her contracted spirits resided came a little clearer. It seemed as if Earthland was still attempting to connect with the Celestial Spirit Realm, even trying to merge the two dimensions together in the way they combined whenever a Spirit's Gate was opened. Three shadows towered over her, their images distorted as the dimensions continued to fade in and out. _Are…are they talking about me? _She wondered in disbelief. _Who are they? Why am I here? What even is 'here'? _She strained to look around more of her surroundings. _Some kind of place in-between Earthland and The Celestial Spirit Realm? _She wasn't sure, narrowing her eyes as she tried to get a better glimpse of those above her.

"…_-ecome more aware…Luc-…-filia…is…name?"_

She squinted before the pain in her head intensified and she closed her eyes with a grimace.

"…_her…-phecy…only that-"_

"…_can't be…she isn't…like the pro-…believe…"_

"…_worried…she…Heartfilia…-igh? She…"_

_They _are_ talking about me! _She screamed in her mind, aggravated that her vocals seemed not to work when she attempted to use them. This was a crucial time, and yet she could not ask a single thing. One of those voices was ever so familiar, but she couldn't place where from. Her fingers curled into a fist and she smiled faintly as she began to regain her mobility.

"…_too soon…that…she mustn't…"_

_Too soon for what? What are they talking about?_ Lucy cursed internally as she couldn't help but continuously question over and over again.

"_You…look….she's…-akening…don't you…."_

"_We're…reveal…slowly…aren't we?"_

"…_see…deeper she searches the closer she'll be…"_

That was the closest thing to a complete sentence she could hear before everything was still. The soft voices slowly changed into the gentle murmurs once again. She no longer had a chance of understanding anything else in this strange conversation.

If she had gained anything from that, it would be more questions and even less answers.

**LINE BREAK**

"Would you mind telling me how she got into this position?"

Erza and Grey exchanged glances at the sudden question before answering.

"She was trying to open a Gate to the Celestial Spirit Realm." The Ice Mage informed. "It completely backfired and she just...collapsed."

"Her Magic Power was drained the instant she completed the standard chant for summoning a Celestial Spirit." Added the scarlet-haired wizard as she shook her head. "The connection between the Celestial Spirit Realm and Earthland was obviously too unstable and unbalanced for her to-"

"But Lucy said nothing like that normally happens." Grey interrupted.

"Then that makes this a peculiar case." Erza replied. "What we don't know is why this happened the way it did. Lucy's Magic Power was drained within seconds, but I'm unsure as to why it didn't do so in the beginning when she started attempting to open the Spirit's gate."

Silence was the given response as Grey didn't have a clue himself either. Their gazes shifted to rest on the slumbering Celestial Mage, notably on her strained expression as perspiration beaded on her forehead.

"I have no knowledge on how Celestial Magic works, myself, so I'm of no help in that regard." Porlyusica said. "Whatever the case, she'll still recover." She lifted a bowl of steaming, shimmering liquid that sparkled in the light as she moved towards her patient. "Wake her, it's time for her to have another dose." She said to Erza, who stood closer by her friend's side. The Weapon Mistress nodded, leaning towards the bed and delicately grasping Lucy's shoulder, whispering her name to gently awaken her.

A soft moan left Lucy's lips as she peered through her lashes, hesitant to widen her eyes completely as pain continued to reside within her head, a dull, constant aching. Her vision blurred slightly as she carefully parted her lids, yet soon the image of the S-Class Mage beside her came into focus. "Erza?" she asked sleepily. Erza smiled at her, smoothing her hair in an almost motherly fashion as the healer approached the magically drained girl.

"I'll need you to sit up." Porlyusica said, adding a few last herbs to the batch. She watched while Grey and Erza slowly eased Lucy upright before she transferred the Magical solution into her patient's hands. Lucy hesitantly gazed downwards at it before lifting the bowl to her lips, tilting it upwards. She took a few moments to drink the entire thing, but was advised to not leave a single drop behind. The Celestial Mage did as she was told, soon lying back down and snuggling under the blankets for some more much-needed rest.

Natsu and Happy had chosen this moment to return, standing in the doorway as the Medical Adviser turned to glare at the group of them.

"Now that everyone is here, you can all leave now." She hissed, her words certainly not a suggestion.

"Uh…" Grey scratched the back of his head, looking to Lucy. "We just-"

"I'm not going to murder her in her sleep, you stupid humans!" Porlyusica lifted her broom into her hands, glaring at the group menacingly at their hesitation to exit. "Now get _out_ of my house!" she chased them out, running after them while Happy shouted _"every exceed for themselves"_ before soaring high into the afternoon air. The Fairy Tail Mages dispersed, leaving one another behind as they tried to evade the elderly woman's wrath.

Sooner, rather than later, they were left alone and found each other again, reluctantly journeying back home.

"I think it'll be a couple of days." The Ice Mage said as they walked. "Mira said that's how long it took Gramps to recover when I asked."

"But that scenario was a different case altogether." Erza reminded. "However, on a lighter note, Master Makarov said Fairy Tail is about to welcome a new member soon. This afternoon, in fact, according to my memory. He may already be there by the time we arrive."

"Who?" Grey asked. "I didn't hear about any new recruits."

"Aye!" agreed Happy.

Natsu remained silent, believing he knew who this new member was going to be. The thought left a smile on his face.

"He had nowhere else to go, so Master Makarov offered him a place at Fairy Tail." Erza said simply. "He was the boy Natsu found, but we only saw him briefly. I'm not sure of what his name is, though."

"Erin." Natsu grinned. "Erin Magnar."

.

..

…

**A/N: Out of curiosity, have you read a novel and then had the prequel published at a later date? That's happened with a few works of literature for me before. As research, would you prefer to read the prequel of a work of fiction first, or not?**


	17. A New Recruit

**A/N: Whoa, okay, I'm back after disappearing from the world of Fanfiction for an unarranged leave. I apologize. I've had writer's block again and school has been…well…school. (But the second term of this year is over and two more to go!) And unfortunately my laptop keeps shutting off and random intervals and my auto save doesn't kick in at all so I could be writing a massive paragraph and *blink* it's gone. Also I went on a trip to visit some relatives for my birthday sadly without any Wi-Fi! So I'm another year older, and since my writing and art improve with age, I'm hoping to get back to those separate worlds as well. But in this case writing comes first, Fairy Tail fan art comes later. Thank you for surviving through my absence and for the reviews left during it.**

**(AS WELL AS THE 139 FAVS AND 188 FOLLOWS)**

**Thank you for the support, **_**Guest **_**and **_**Daddys little crazy bitch**_**. As well as the second **_**Guest reviewer**_** who simply said **_**"**__**OOOOOOOOH"**_**and I'm quite uncertain on how to respond to that. Anyways, thank you **_**Rapunzel3**_**, for always making me grin, as well as **_**Ebon fire Red waters**_**, HERE'S YOUR UPDATE!**

_**Wolf123**_**, thank you for you kind comments, and Kira sounds really cool! I'm sure your fanfic would be lovely, but if you don't think so, my advice is to practice because I absolutely sucked on my first fan fic but people keep telling me not to delete it so I'm just leaving it alone and ughh. But I learnt from it and improved a lot. In regards to your questions, Constellar was the dragon in the painting, because that was the dragon the Kingdom was named after to express their gratitude for he protected everyone there until he vanished alongside all other Dragons on the seven years back. In terms of the translation, all of that is coming gradually, sorry for the wait.**

**Thank you for answering my question, **_**Rose's Shadow**_**. The people Lucy heard talking are going to be revealed soon, as well as the Spirit she tried to summon. Also, I'm going to answer your other questions in a PM because I have a lot to say. Thank you as well, **_**Dark Shining Light**_**, as always. You're actually the first person I think said they preferred prequels as sequels and I get what you mean, so thank you for your opinion. As for **_**Erza's Cake**_**, there's a lot I want to say in terms of your review but I can't give anything away besides not being able to confirm or deny your suspicions and telling you to wait and see. SORRY D: and I also prefer prequels first. I think I'll put the prequel up first and then the next instalment and people can read whichever first.**

_**AND HERE'S CHAPTER SEVETEEN, WE'RE ON A ROLL. **_

**A New Recruit**

4/5 members of Fairy Tail's "Strongest Team" had returned home just as the sun had set. The surrounding scenery reminded Natsu of the day he and Happy had set off to follow Grey and Erza on their S-Class mission, as well as the day Lucy had picked out the first mission she'd tackle solo. The simple memory dampened his spirits, as if they weren't low enough already. He seemed grouchy enough for Grey to decide not to pick a fight until he lightened up a bit. That being said, the Ice Mage himself did not feel up for participating in any Guild brawls that they might walk straight into on their arrival because of his own mood. And Erza sure as hell wouldn't be happy having to tear the two men apart if so needed. If anything, she'd just beat the both of them to a pulp before calling it a day. It was still rather early in the evening, but the scarlet-haired Mage of the group decided against proposing a mission for them to take. For starters, Happy had dozed off just a few minutes prior in Natsu's arms, and the overall vibe emitting from those still awake was not even remotely positive.

If she and her comrades were preoccupied with their own thoughts about their dear Celestial Mage, the likelihood of any jobs they would attempt to tackle being successful would be low. _A head that wasn't clear wasn't allowed into battle_. This was what Makarov had taught his children, and they'd be damned not to remember the life-saving advice. Throughout the years, Makarov himself had stopped his brats from going off recklessly into fights they couldn't hope to win but believed they could as they were blinded by various things. Ego had played a large part among certain wizards in the Guild, especially those like Natsu who decided that no fight was too much for him, no enemy too difficult to defeat. Grief made some blind as well, as regretfully, not every single Mage returned from jobs they had taken and their comrades had gone to avenge them and gotten themselves killed as well. As the eldest and most mature of the team they'd created, Erza had unofficially been appointed leader, for she was best suited for the role. If anything, she'd make sure to protect her comrades on and off the battlefield.

She let out a sigh of relief as Fairy Tail came into sight just as the city came to life. Streetlights flickered on and illuminated the paths throughout Magnolia with soft glows of white and yellow, pushing out the darkness provided by the evening sky. She was a few steps away from the front doors, reaching out to open them when another Mage completed the action for her. Levy McGarden, in fact. Blinking in surprise at the obvious distress the Weapon Mistress saw on the younger girl's face from where she stood, her own features shifted into concern.

"Levy, is something-"

"Is she alright?!" the bookworm blurted out her question with a sharp intake of air at the end of her sentence, her eyes wide with panic. Unfortunately for the blue-haired wizard, she'd been told to stay behind while Natsu, Grey and Happy were allowed to follow after Erza, who was carrying Lucy towards the cottage where Porlyusica dwelled at the time. The healer could only tolerate so many humans at a time, and Lucy's thick-skulled teammates wouldn't be persuaded into leaving her side. During the seemingly long hour or so the group had been gone, Levy had been completely on edge, unable to think about anything else except for her close friend. "Lucy…is she doing better? Porlyusica will heal her, won't she?"

"I think it'd be best if you explained it to everyone inside." Mira said to the group as she arrived, standing in the doorway beside her fellow comrade. She smiled gently at Levy as she patted her shoulder. "I'm sure all of us have many of their own questions, including yours." She turned her attention to the newly arrived wizards, beckoning them inside. "Come on in, you four. Can I get you anything to drink? Hot chocolate?" the Take-Over Mage offered, receiving polite nodding of heads in response. She moved towards the bar as the group shuffled into the Guild Hall, preparing the beverages as her Nakama took their seats. Grey seemed relieved that Juvia had been one of the several Mages who had already gone home for the evening, so he wouldn't have been tackled by said Water Mage, which might have freaked him out. In fact, Fairy Tail seemed quiet and quite empty given that so many members were absent, yet it was understanding for some of the early times trains set off for morning missions the next day.

Happy hadn't stirred, even as Natsu sat down and rested him atop the table and Lisanna skipped over to welcome everyone back.

"Hey, Lisanna." The Dragon Slayer greeted as she took a place beside him. "What's up?"

"I've just been talking to Mira-nee today, helping out at the bar for a bit, nothing much." Lisanna replied cheerfully. "But how is she? Uh, Lucy, right?"

Natsu nodded, a smile brightening his features as he thought of the Edolas counterpart of his best friend that Lisanna had come to know. "Yeah, it's Lucy." He informed. "The old hag's lookin' after her. She said she'll be fine, didn't she?" He looked to Erza, who was walking towards them.

"Porlyusica said Lucy will defiantly recover, which we should be glad about." The Requip Mage answered as she too sat down, alongside Grey and a few others who also wanted to know of the blonde's condition.

"Though if anyone else wants to visit, they should watch out for any brooms." Grey muttered, frowning at the memory first, before the corners of his mouth twitched. Now that it was over, he could see the humour in the situation they'd experienced.

"I haven't really had a chance to talk to her yet." Lisanna said, seeming disappointed at the fact. "Well, the Edolas Lucy was pretty intimidating...she kept us all in line…" She, along with her friends, laughed as they thought about the feisty, hot-headed Lucy Ashley that had beaten up Natsu when he'd first arrived at their alternate Fairy Tail. "But everyone says here she's really nice! I haven't been able to meet her properly, really. I guess I've been too busy these few weeks, y'know, catching up with everyone."

Erza smiled. "Our Lucy's quite a lovely girl." She said in what Lisanna saw as a very affectionate nature. Grey and Natsu nodded in agreement, exchanging fond smiles with the Weapon Mistress. The bond between the four team mates was quite strong, and even if the youngest Strauss had only been back at Earthland's Fairy Tail for a short while, she could see that clearly. "Hopefully her recovering won't take too long, but at least she won't have to worry about her rent for at least a short while." Her fellow teammates chuckled at that. The Celestial Mage was well-known for her complaining of time to time about paying off her strangely terrifying landlady a solid 70,000 jewels each month. Although none of her Nakama at Fairy Tail had personally met the woman, Lucy gave a very detailed description and a slight shiver whenever asked.

"At least she's okay…" Levy said with a long sigh of relief. Murmurs of agreement were heard around the Guild Hall.

"On a not entirely unrelated note," Erza said, looking around through the members scattered about the room, "I believed we were welcoming a newcomer today. Did we happen to miss him?" She queried.

"No, not at all." Mira called from the bar. "He's actually with Master Makarov at the moment. I think Master's just briefing him on how Fairy Tail functions. The only Guild in his town was a Dark Guild, so it may be a bit of a change."

At the mention of Razor Fang, Natsu, Grey and Erza visibly stiffened. Lisanna, Levy and Cana, who sat close by their newly returned friends, showed understanding in their features at their Nakama's reaction, then anger at the thought of those who had harmed Lucy and Erin so terribly. Mira had a soft frown upon her lips as she carried a tray of the beverages she promised over to the table and sat down herself, taking her seat beside her younger sister.

"They've all been locked up, right?" Levy questioned. "That's what the Magic Council said they deserved."

"I believe so." Mirajane answered quietly.

"They aren't deserving of such _mercy_." Erza muttered in a barely controlled voice. "Not after the horrid crimes they committed!" she slammed her fist upon the table, shaking the mugs of hot chocolate belonging to her companions and awaking Happy, who let out a startled yelp and sat up. Quickly composing herself, she lifted her hand, frowning at the dent she'd made that wasn't entirely at the fault of her metallically gloved fingers, but also from her own strength and the unbearable anger coursing through her veins. "They heartlessly _slaughtered _their fellow townsfolk." She continued, this time in a more reserved tone as she sent an apologetic glance to Happy, who had sadly retreated to continue his slumber in Lisanna's arms after remembering that Lucy wasn't here and he couldn't rest in hers. "Including young _children_ who could've been their neighbours, friends or family. If Erin had not been out of town, he would have been among the many tragedies." She shook her head in disgust. "I don't know what compels some to do such things, but shackles and chains are not among the list of punishments those criminals truly…_rightfully_ deserve."

"I've heard rumours around town," murmured Levy, "that the Council is still deciding on what to _really_ do with the Razor Fang Guild. And that they haven't decided yet."

"I heard something similar." Lisanna added quietly, keeping her voice low as to not awaken the exceed in her arms a second time. "And the Council isn't exactly _kind _with anyone who disobeys the law-"

"-so they'll get what's coming for them." Cana finished, downing yet another glass of wine before being scolded by the scarlet-haired woman beside her.

"That's true," agreed Grey, who took a few sips of his beverage at random intervals as he spoke, "but the thing is, we didn't catch _all _of them, did we?" He looked to his comrades, who shook their heads. "I know the Council's tracking them down, from what we were told, but have they had any luck?"

"We haven't heard anything." Mira said in a disappointed tone.

"They've gotten away with this type of disobedience to the law before, it's lucky for us that Lucy was able to capture so many members to begin with." Erza reminded as she finished her own hot chocolate in a few simple mouthfuls. Warmth spread through her chest, the simple feeling seeming to brighten her spirits just slightly. "If permission is granted to us, I'm sure many would enjoy joining the search for those who remain on the run." She said, making sure to completely drain her mug at the end of her sentence before wiping her mouth with a napkin.

"That's for sure." Natsu said, who had been surprisingly quiet throughout the group's conversation. He'd kept his head down and his gaze faraway during the discussion, as if he'd been in deep thought for the entire time.

Footsteps approaching the seated cluster of Mages caused them to lift their heads at the sound to seek out the source.

"Well, I think there needs to be a bit of lightening up for you brats." Master Makarov said as he reached his children, sensing the mood even though he had heard nothing and was completely oblivious to what they had been speaking about. He received a few tired smiles in reply, yet their eyes soon shifted from him and onto the person accompanying him. Well-rested, cleaned and wearing new clothes, Erin Magnar stood tall. He smiled at those sitting in front of him, for they were his new comrades, one of them especially, who had promised to help out his hometown. His copper brown hair was messy as usual, but his green eyes shone brighter, livelier than the night Natsu first met him.

On top of all that, on his left shoulder he sported a dark sienna Fairy Tail insignia, the colour symbolising the Magic in his veins.

Natsu rose from his seat and clapped the newcomer on the back. "Glad to have ya on-board!" He said, flashing a grin. Erin returned it with another smile of his own as the others also stood to properly welcome him.

"Great…another Dragon Slayer…" Cana shook her head, pouring herself another glass of wine. "Just what we need, isn't it?" She looked to Mirajane, who smiled cheerfully.

"The more, the merrier!" the Take-Over Mage gleefully responded.

"How did I know you'd say that…?" The Card Mage muttered under her breath, lifting the glass to her lips and draining it in seconds.

"So…" Master Makarov coughed, gathering the lingering Mages' attention. "For those who don't know, we have a new recruit with us." He gestured to Erin, who was introducing himself to Lisanna, who in turn cheerfully told the boy her own name and welcomed him warmly. "His name is Erin, and as of recent he's been through quite a bit, so make him feel at home!"

A few cheers were heard, and soon the male was surrounded. From the group, Mira retreated back to her place behind the bar and Grey followed after her in search for information after he personally welcomed Erin to Fairy Tail. The white-haired woman have given herself the task of scrubbing at a few of Cana's wine-stained glasses that were left lying around as the Ice Mage reached her.

"Hey, Mira," He said, in way of greeting. She simply smiled at him, so he continued. "Was there any word on that Key or anything?" Grey leant against the bar, oblivious to the fact he'd just lost his shirt in the process, as he directed his question towards Mirajane. "It'd be better if we could bring Lucy back some good news next time we visit her."

A saddened smile was the first response he received as the Take-Over Mage sighed softly.

"Master Makarov contacted the King and Queen of Constellar over Lacrima, like I'd said we would." She informed, glancing to where their short Master sat down with some of his brats. "But it seems that they refused to tell him anything about the any of the possessions. Apparently they only want to talk about any of this with Lucy herself." She seemed thoughtful as she worked.

"Do you think it's got something to do with them only wanting Celestial wizards for their jobs?" Grey questioned.

"Their ancestors were Celestial wizards, so like Lucy said, maybe it's only natural for them to do that." Mira answered. "Maybe it's a custom. I'm not sure, but I am sure that Lucy will have a lot of questions to ask, so we could throw that one into the mix if you'd like." She smiled as she and her comrade directed their attention to the group a few feet away. They hadn't heard the entire conversation, but heard a short snippet of it, which was enough to know that Natsu was clearly telling his fellow Dragon Slayer something about the Ice Mage in a way that sounded insulting. Obviously, it was intended that way.

"You wanna go, Dragon Boy?" Grey shouted across the Guild Hall, ready to grab his rival by the scarf if so needed. Natsu turned to look at him and instantly grimaced.

"Not until you put on some clothes!" He yelled back.

This sent Grey instantly searching for his pants and shirt, careful to make sure his underwear remained on his body.

Back with Natsu, Erin and everyone else, the new recruit looked to Makarov after hearing a bit of Grey and Mira's conversation while having his with Natsu.

"Lucy…she's the one who captured the Razor Fang members," Erin said wearily, "that's what I was told, I think."

"Yeah, Lucy knocked 'em right out of the park." Natsu grinned, defiantly not shying away from the chance to praise his best friend, nor compliment her on her great achievement once again.

"Is she here? Can I see her?!" The Earth Dragon Slayer demanded, rising from his seat. "I need to thank her, I need to express my gratitude! Can you tell me where she is?" He immediately crouched down in front of the short Guild Master, pressing his hands together and bowing his head in a pleading gesture that Natsu stifled laughter from while Cana raised an eyebrow. "Please allow me to show my appreciation to her and Fairy Tail, Guild Master Makarov!" the brunette begged. Makarov seemed taken aback with surprise and slight amusement of his own, yet he cleared his throat to compose himself. The sound caused the newcomer to raise his head and he was met with a kind smile from those around him.

"Erin…" Makarov said gently. "You are free to do that when she returns, my boy. For now, she needs rest to regain her strength."

"Was she hurt?"

"Sort of." The man looked to Erza for elaboration.

"She attempted to summon a Celestial Spirit without knowing its entire name." She explained. "Apparently the connection wasn't stable enough and Lucy couldn't control it. It was completely unbalanced and her Magic Power was completely drained within an instant."

"It was like the Spirit was rejected her, as if it didn't want its Gate to be opened." Levy added uneasily, recalling the sparks flying dangerously around her friend before her collapse.

"The whole thing just backfired." Grey said as he joined the conversation.

"But Celestial Spirit summoning don't work like that." Erin said, seeming genuinely confused. "The Gate to the Spirit Realm simply opens or it doesn't. Nothing like that happens like…at all. I've never heard of a Spirit being able to refuse its own summoning. Actually, I think it's impossible. Spirits can't even open and close their _own_ Gates unless they're pretty powerful, I'm pretty sure."

Many of the wizards in the hall began to think of Loke at that moment.

"How do you know so much about Celestial Magic?" Cana then asked, staring at the Dragon Slayer with interest.

Erin looked away, laughing slightly uneasily. "I…I j-just have an interest in-"

"I think _you've_ got a _thing_ for Celestial wizards." Cana drawled, chuckling at him.

The boy quickly looked away, as if trying to hide something. Mira giggled at the apparent discovering, already thinking in her usual match-making way, while everyone else just seemed sorry for the teenager.

"We better keep our Lucy _faaar_ away from you, Dragon Slayer." Cana dragged out the word teasingly, nudging the newcomer as he tried moving away in further embarrassment. She burst into a fit of laughter at his reaction, throwing her arms around him. "I like you, kid!" She cheered, tugging experimentally at his face. His eyebrow twitched at the action as the Card Mage continued on, "Tell me if you plan on asking her out, you'd be the first to have enough balls to do so." She turned to her fellow Guild Mates, seeming appalled, her cheeks reddened from the excessive amount of drinking she'd done that same evening. "Where's the testosterone here, boys? You call yourselves men, don't you?" She stared at a few in turn with a steeled gaze before bursting into laughter.

Somewhere across town, at that exact moment, Elfman Strauss shot up and called himself a man.

"O-Oh…u-um I d-don't…" Erin struggled in her grasp, clearly uncomfortable. He sent a look to Mirajane, who seemed the sanest person in the room at the given moment, silently pleading for assistance. Giggling to herself as she wandered over, the bartender carefully unwound the tanned arms trapping Fairy Tail's latest recruit, freeing the boy. He dusted off his clothes, seeming quite flustered at his first interaction with the woman who held the title of the Guild's "Heaviest Drinker". She told Cana to leave the teenager alone before flashing him a friendly smile.

"Everyone here's a little crazy," she said cheerfully, "but you'll get used to it."

"Maybe then we should properly welcome him with his first Guild brawl! Then he can meet everyone fist first!" Natsu suggested, cracking his knuckles as he began to grin deviously at the idea. Gajeel wasn't here at the moment and Wendy never joined in on the fights, so what better time was it to see what this guy was made of? On that note, the Fire Mage was more than eager to fight another Dragon Slayer and test out his abilities, now that he'd momentarily forgotten being upset about leaving Lucy behind at Porlyusica's. "What ya say, Erick? Up for it?"

"It's Erin." The brunette replied, seeming a little annoyed his name was so easily forgotten.

"Yeah, yeah, that's what I said." Natsu waved his hands dismissively. "So…?"

"Natsu," Mira laughed as she said his name. "That's not how we welcome people-"

"We welcomed Lucy during a fight, didn't we?" Grey asked, chuckling as he remembered his first interaction with the girl.

_Excuse me miss, may I borrow your underwear?_

If Natsu hadn't stolen his remaining clothes to begin with, maybe they would've started off on a more normal tone. Then again, Loke had picked her up in his arms and started his flirting game from one of the first moments he had seen her. to top it all off, she met Natsu after seeing him get pummelled by a group of charmed 'fan girls' that had fallen in love with Bora after he had stolen the Dragon Slayer's nickname and posed at him.

"No, Natsu started a fight a few seconds _after_ he brought Lucy in, so no, not really." Cana recalled.

"Guild Brawl!" someone shouted.

Soon enough, almost everyone currently residing at Fairy Tail began attacking each other.

With that, Makarov then announced he was returning home for the evening and promptly left the Guild Hall, leaving Mirajane in charge as he always did whenever he was not present.

Natsu tackled Grey over the bar with his fists alight, Erin was being challenged by Macao, and Levy was ducking under blasts of Magic and various attacks, covering her head with her hands as she searched for somewhere safe to hide from her fellow Guild members. Her search was in vain, however, as soon enough Wakaba was thrown across the Hall and knocked the Script Mage to the ground. Mira barely dodged a _very_ airborne brother of hers, who had only recently arrived for Mavis knows what reason. She watched with an amused smile as the middle Strauss child soared over the heads of his Nakama yelling about being a man as he crashed into one of the beams supporting the roof. The eldest Take-Over Mage went after him to check if he was alright as Lisanna quickly followed, securing her arms around Happy, who was woken up by all the commotion and shielding himself from any flying objects in Lisanna's arms.

Standing away from the chaos, Cana stood with folded arms, her dark eyes narrowed.

For some reason, something felt off in the air around her. A bad feeling churned in her stomach, alongside the worry she felt coursing throughout her veins. For what reason she felt this way was unknown to her as she watched her friends beat each other senseless all for good fun. From time to time, she'd join in on these Guild-scale brawls, but tonight was different. Something didn't feel right. Frowning, she set her empty glass down and began moving towards the front doors to return home for rest. She couldn't fight off a sense of uneasiness that she didn't know the source of. The Card Mage walked out and into the streets, hoping that the strange belief of an unpleasant future occurrence was only her imagination.

She could only hope her suspicions were proved wrong.

.

..

…


	18. The Soft-Spoken Visitor

**A/N: EPISODE 191 IS OUT! **_***Muffled screaming***_** For those who are up to it, I'm planning a fic (obviously angsty), surrounding Future Natsu and Lucy. If you want to know more, PM me. **

**Here's the update, Guest, Coolanime14 and Ebon fire Red waters! Apologies to SaberTail FairyTooth, I didn't really mean for it to end with a cliff-hanger, sorry. I'll be cutting down on them, don't worry. Thank you for the welcome back, cocopuff123 ****, and for the compliments. Also thank you to Wolf123, thank you for the kind words, I'm happy you liked it! Erin isn't really going to be as focused around as Lucy or Team Natsu, but he does have a major role. As for "Stellar", they are explained in this chapter, if only briefly. To Rose's Shadow, hot chocolate makes every conversation serious. Everyone knows that. ;)**

**To pikaace, DID YOU REALLY MEAN THAT?! ARE YOU SERIOUS?! If you really mean what you said, I really want to hug you. I've read hundreds of fics way better than this one, so saying that means a lot. Like I can't describe how much that means to me. Really. Thank you. Erin's going to be seen a lot more, don't worry. I actually picked out his name from Eren from AOT, but I spelled it that way it because Eren is so much better than Erin. :P**

**JUST TO GET YOU ALL EXCITED, WE MEET THE SPIRIT BEHIND THE KEY THIS CHAPTER. HAPPY READING! However, it's not a very long chap, I'm struggling to find inspiration.**

**Note: The flashback in this chapter is from an event that takes place back in chapter eleven.**

**149 Favs and 199 Follows, huh? Thank you! x**

**The Soft-Spoken Visitor**

On the morning of the 25th, little improvement had been brought to Lucy's condition.

In an arm chair she'd dragged to her close friend's bedside, Erza was seated, dressed in regular clothes for a change. She had arrived to Porlyusica's home at precisely seven-thirty that very morning, not even a moment later, with a few of Lucy's favourite novels in her arms and a few pages accompanied with a quill. The idea of the Celestial Mage being entirely on her lonesome as Porlyusica provided little to no social interaction had struck the S-Class Mage hard the evening prior. But now, possibly when the blonde had healed further, she would be able to occupy herself either by reading or working on her novel if she chose to. The grateful smile that Erza had received from her comrade just before she resumed her slumber was enough to put her in a bright mood for the remainder of the day. She knew that Lucy wanted to express how thankful she was for the thought her teammate had put in, yet a simple action alike to speaking seemed to exhaust the teenager quickly, so Erza had hushed her before she could say anything.

Now, Lucy slept quietly, yet with her breathing laboured and her expression laced with discomfort. She was now dressed in fresh and clean pyjamas that Erza had brought earlier, alongside a collection of other garments she regularly wore and other personal belongings. Fairy Tail's Medical Advisor crinkled her nose at this, most likely from more of her patient's things taking up a space in her home, even if it was just a small one. The Requip Mage had also given herself the task of tending to her friend's hair as she slept, carefully brushing it out and tying it into a braid, her actions slow and gentle to not disturb the younger girl's slumber. She also tucked the blankets that covered the blonde in closer around her and shut the window when a breeze came in that made them both shiver. It was instinct, Erza proposed, to feel the need to look after Lucy in such a motherly fashion. Even if she'd never voiced the thought aloud, but she had started to look after her as one would for a younger sibling whom they adored dearly as of recent. Neither of them had ever had the privilege of a brother or sister, but Fairy Tail had brought them both too many family members to count. Erza knew that she beared resemblance to a motherly figure in the way she would act towards her fellow Guild Members, in terms of scolding them of their bad habits and so on, but she defiantly wouldn't mind preserving a special part for Lucy in her heart as her younger sister.

She defiantly wouldn't mind it at all.

As time ticked on, the scarlet-haired woman stayed at the Stellar wizard's side. As it neared ten in the morning, she had only moved for a short bathroom break before returning to watch over her friend just as Porlyusica had finished making at least half a dozen batches of Magical solutions to speed up Lucy's recovering process. It'd taken at least two hours, yet to Erza's surprise, the elderly healer hadn't complained once, nor made a sound. She'd remained focused without even a mere glance in Erza or Lucy's direction. This was most likely for the reason that the solutions required a great deal of concentration to make, but Erza did not mind. She merely continued to tend to her slumbering Nakama, lightly dabbing at her flushed face to wipe away the perspiration as it formed and settling a chilled, damp washcloth upon the girl's heated forehead. She'd been informed upon arrival to the healer's cottage that Lucy had somehow developed a fever overnight, and was told that it was her body's natural reaction to something being wrong and that her increased temperature was its way of fighting to return to its normal state. Apparently, Master Makarov had also experienced similar signs when he'd been in the same position.

Grey and Natsu arrived just around ten thirty to visit their teammate, the latter seeming oddly tired, as if he'd just rolled out of bed. Judging by the state of his clothes and hair, he _had_ only recently been asleep but had quickly hurried to get dressed into different clothes before coming to visit Lucy. Erza supposed he'd stayed up late the evening before to brawl against his fellow Guild mates into the early hours of the morning until everyone had passed out with exhaustion. "Good morning, boys." She greeted them both with a warm smile before she gestured for them to sit beside her. Dragging chairs over to Lucy's bedside, they did just that. "How are things at Fairy Tail at the moment?" Erza asked. "I'm assuming you were there this morning, correct?"

"Yeah, we were." Grey answered, scratching the back of his head. "Now that everyone was there this morning, whoever wasn't fighting last night is probably introducing themselves to Erin and stuff." He chuckled as he reminisced on the brawl that had taken place. "I think the poor guy was a bit overwhelmed, I mean, he was practically crushed by a table at one point…"

"He was fine!" Natsu assured, laughing as he also remembered. "If you're gonna feel sorry for anyone, feel sorry for Elfman! He was out of it in seconds!"

"I don't even remember how he got into the air!" Grey muttered as he shook his head. "He almost landed on me…"

"After being at Fairy Tail for so many years, you learn to expect that sort of thing." Erza said with a small laugh herself.

"True." Grey smirked before he looked to Lucy. "Is she alright?"

"Her condition's worsened." Erza sighed. "She developed a fever last night. It's nothing serious, but it certainly isn't helping her current state." She turned to the Ice Mage beside her. "But it'd be good if you could lower her temperature, Grey."

"Right." Grey said. "Of course." He leaned forward, taking the cloth from Lucy's forehead to use his Magic on it. After he'd cooled it down, he placed it back to its original place. At the action, her strained expression eased just a small amount. "That should help a bit." He murmured, studying his friend's face. "She'll be alright soon, though. With Porlyusica looking after her, that is." At the mention of the healer, she entered the room, another dose of her Magic Power-replenishing solution prepared.

"Lovely." she said sourly, crinkling her nose in distaste at the group. "There's more of you. Wonderful."

The team of wizards simply ignored her, one of which taking on the task of awakening their friend for another batch of her medicine. Erza slowly shook the blonde's shoulder, quietly calling her name to gently wake her.

Lucy moaned softly, making a pained expression as her eyes opened. She was reluctant to leave the comfort of her dreams, squinting at the sudden exposure to the bright sunlight shining in through the window. Then, her attention focused onto Erza, Grey and Natsu. Her lips curved into a soft smile at their presence. "Hey." She greeted weakly.

"Hey, Lucy." Grey said. "You feeling much better?"

"That's a stupid question." snickered Natsu.

"You wanna go, Flame Brain?!"

"I'm feeling alright." The Celestial Mage answered, giggling as they began to bicker.

"Save your strength, Lucy," Erza scolded her gently before returning the smile. "Don't talk too much, it tires you far too quickly."

Lucy hummed in response, rubbing her eyes as Porlyusica neared her, passing her next dose of solution into her patient's hands. "Even if I've only been here for a little while, I already missed you guys," she murmured quietly.

Natsu looked away from his rival and cracked a grin at his partner. "We missed you too, Lucy."

"Don't worry, we're going to save the best missions for when you're better." Grey assured.

"But we'll only do so when you've fully recovered." Erza added.

Lucy grimaced as she took a sip of the Magic potion. "Can't wait."

**LINE BREAK**

She found herself in the depths of her own subconscious soon enough, sinking into the mattress and snuggling beneath her blankets as the sound of rustling leaves from the trees outside lulled her to sleep.

Once again she found herself within a replica of the Celestial Spirit Realm inside her dream. "Hello?" Lucy called out just for the sake of it, although she didn't expect a response. Soft murmurings echoed in the back of her mind, sound as if they were coming from afar and yet right beside her at the same time. It was confusing, as she tried to make sense of the mixed voices mumbling and whispering to one another. These strange dreams had only started after her solo mission in Starlight, and she was sure that they had something to do with the mysteries she was so desperate to solve. Perhaps they were visions, she'd mused earlier that morning, before Erza had arrived. Perhaps the three beings she heard speaking about her were attempting to contact her. Maybe to warn her, but of what, she was uncertain.

"Does this have something to do with my mother?!"

The question was blurted out in a mixture of desperation and frustration and silence was what it was met with. She didn't understand why she'd received a letter in a foreign language no one could read. She didn't understand why she'd found a Celestial Spirit key that she, a Celestial Spirit _wizard_, could not summon. There were so many questions and so little answers. _Why me? _She had remembered crying this out into her mind after awakening from yet another strange 'vision'. Why had her mother never showed her this message before? Why this? Why that? Nothing made sense anymore.

"Please!" she cried out. "I need to know! Please, can you help me?"

"You aren't strong enough yet, Lucinda."

"H-Huh?"

Lucy slowly raised her head at the sound of the gentle voice responding back to her.

Yellow light bathed the area with an intensity that made the girl close her eyes. However, when she opened them, she finally caught a glimpse of the one who had spoken. Her features contorted in surprise at the flickering image of a gigantic figure standing before her. Air caught in her throat as her chest tightened with a mixture of disbelief and terror at the sight of a _Dragon_ right before her eyes.

As if she didn't need another question without an answer.

The stars and orbs of light floating around the large being reflected in the dark, golden scales that covered the majority of its body. It's lower body, stomach, chest and the inner portions of its tail and legs were creamy white in colour, and large spikes only a few shade's darker than its scales ran from its head and down to the end of its tail. Its eyes were round with glowing white sclera and black pupils. As the Celestial Mage took a step back, the Dragon folded it's large, bat-like wings, and laid down. The fact that its golden claws were bigger than Lucy frightened her immensely, and the razor sharp teeth showed when it smiled did not help settle her nerves. Magic Power practically radiated off of it, its entire aura giving off a great sense of strength. Yet, as its image continued to flicker, Lucy realised that it was a hologram, and that the creature was not truly laying before her.

_Phew, I guess I'm not being eaten, then. _She thought.

"Not…strong enough?" she was hesitant to speak to such a powerful being as she thought about its words. "What aren't I strong enough for?" she curled her hands into fists in an effort to stop them from trembling in fear.

"We don't have much time, so I can't explain much. I apologize." the Dragon said quietly, eyes saddening at the thought.

It seemed soft-spoken, something Lucy found strange for its size. It was female, judging by its voice and more slender build compared to Constellar, the male Dragon she'd seen a painting of within the Kingdom named in his honour.

"You were able to control a small burst of my Magic Energy when my Gate Key fell to the ground, and that was incredible enough." The Dragon continued. "But you need a great deal of strength to summon me to your world, and I fear if you try again at your current level…" She turned her large head, looking off into the endless stretch of light and stars. "…your body won't be able to withstand it. You may die if you make another attempt." She shifted her eyes back onto the wizard, who froze under her gaze. "You don't have enough Magic Power at the moment to open more than a few Gates at once, after all. It'd be impossible to summon me the way you are at the moment." She paused for a few heartbeats before adding, "I apologize if that sounded insulting."

"N-No, that's okay. But…w-wait a moment…" She felt light-headed, laughing uneasily at the end of her sentence as she felt herself shaking. "Uh…w-what's your n-name?" she was stuttering and stumbling over her words as she tried to understand the knowledge she'd just gained. "A-And, t-the Key I have, i-it's yours?" her mouth fell open in shock as the creature nodded. "So t-that means, the dream I had, back in Constellar-"

"_Hello?" the member of Fairy Tail called. "Who's there? Who are you?" she asked. "Please, answer me!" she spun around as the laughter was suddenly behind her. She squinted and saw something gold glimmering in the distance. Before she knew it, she was running, running as fast as she could towards that object for an unknown reason. She wanted answers and she needed them know. "Who are you?!" the blonde screamed, pumping her legs faster as the laughter began to fade. "Answer me, please! Please! Why am I here?" no matter how fast she thought she had travelled, the space around her was expanding, stretching away from her. "Does this has something to do with what I found? Huh? Stellar? Is that your name?!" she skidded to a stop as all noises were ceased and the light had stopped moving away from her. "Is it?!" Hunching over, she was panting, catching her breath. There was silence all around, terrifying her, wondering what was about to happen. _

"_So it _is_ you, Lucinda Heartfilia…" a soft, gentle, female voice whispered. "You're the one who has found my key, dear?" she hummed, her words spoken in a tone showing the person the voice belonged to was apparently impressed with her feat. "It seems brother dearest was correct, after all…" the light floated towards Lucy, identical to the orb that she had found a few hours beforehand. "My name is not Stellar, but that guess in itself is close enough. I look forward to meeting you in person sometime soon, Lucinda." The world began to spin around her as the key dropped into the girl's hands and the voice faded away._

"Yes, it is." The Dragon said. "My name is Stellaria, and that is all I can tell you for now."

"S-Stellaria?!"

"The connection this time between you and I is more stable, but not by a great deal." Stellaria kept talking as if the girl hadn't spoken once. "Now, we can converse, however, we don't have much time left, so your questions must wait until later."

"Much time left?" Lucy echoed. "What do you mean-"

"The letter you received was written by your mother a mere fourteen months before she passed away." The creature hurriedly continued on. "It is written in an ancient script for the fact that it is for your eyes only. No one else. Its contents have been hidden even from your father for this purpose."

"But-"

"You must understand that great power is within your reach, and that you only need to grasp hold of it." her image began to flicker violently, meaning that their conversation was going to be cut much shorter than either of them realised. "You _must_ grow stronger, and you _must_ become aware of your hidden abilities, Lucinda." She began to talk faster, almost in a panicked way as Lucy stared at her in awe. "Whether or not your use them for your loved ones or for yourself and any personal gain, that is your own decision to make." Her large eyes softened. "The King and Queen of Constellar are the ones we have given only vague instructions to, for this journey is only yours to travel."

"I don't understand!" Lucy cried, clutching her head with both hands as it began to ache. "What are you talking about? What does all of this mean?!"

"The road will be long, and it will be painful. Your blood will be spilled and your tears will be shed. Nevertheless, you must stay strong." The warning was slightly muffled as the Dragon started to fade away. "Trust only those you know best, and follow what your heart tells you. That is all I can say for now. Until we meet again…"

"No, wait!" Lucy scrambled towards the gigantic creature just as it vanished from sight.

"_Don't let the darkness consume you…"_

"Come back!" she shouted. "Please! I'm begging you!"

"_The brightest stars burn out the fastest."_

That was the last thing she heard before the ground beneath her feet cracked open and she was swallowed up by a never ending darkness.

**LINE BREAK**

"No!"

The action of sitting up so abruptly and harshly was one Lucy instantly regretted as her head spun and a chill swept through her bones. She let out a soft moan, clutching at her heated forehead with trembling fingers. "Wh-What…what was that?" her breathing had quickened, her chest rising and falling rapidly. "I...I…" she looked to the end table at her bedside and watched as the key that rested there sparkled in the moonlight. "Stell…Stellaria…" she hesitantly reached for the glimmering object, yet retracted her hand as pain resonated throughout her body. "T-That's your name, huh?" Her gaze shifted to the paper beneath the Key, the letter she was so determined to read.

That is, if she ever found a way to translate the script.

"What does all of this mean, Mama?" the seventeen-year-old whispered sadly. "What does it mean?"

Lucy curled in on herself, seeking comfort underneath the blankets tucked around her. It was late, by what she could tell. Night had fallen by now, and Natsu, Grey and Erza had either returned to the Guild or back to their own homes. Porlyusica was out collecting more herbs for her patient, leaving the Celestial Mage by herself for the time being. She laid on her side, feeling an undesirable pang of loneliness among the pain residing in her body which rested alongside the fatigue. After she'd learned that the letter she'd received was written by the late Layla Heartfilia, and after visiting her father and Ms. Spetto, she found herself feeling lonely. Even extremely so. As she said to Erza merely days before, she was sure with a family like the one she had at Fairy Tail, she wouldn't be allowed to feel alone. She was constantly around them to the point where she'd barely have a moment to herself. Despite whatever she said, she secretly enjoyed this immensely after suffering through years of isolation. She really couldn't say there was a happier day than the one she met Natsu, but now, it wasn't the companionship of her fellow Guild members she was seeking.

No, she felt a longing for her mother, a feeling that had never left since the wizard's death, but merely became more bearable over time. Lucy craved Layla's motherly love ever so dearly, now more than she ever had, except for those dark times throughout her early childhood. She was merely ten years old when her mother had left her, and yet she could only receive something alike to that same caring from Ms. Spetto and the members of staff who adored her and stepped in to raise her when Jude began to ignore her existence. This ordeal had stirred up those emotions once more, whether she liked it or not.

However, no matter how much she longed for that same affection, she knew she'd never receive it again.

That was the cruel reality of this world that she knew she had to accept one day.

.

..

…


	19. What's On Your Mind?

**A/N: So in Japan, July 26****th**** is NaLu day for the Japanese NaLu shippers. I didn't know this, and I find it amazing. **

**To **_**blue-espeon**_**, thank you so much for sharing your thoughts and thank you for the compliments. I can't really say too much about Erin, because I haven't given him too much screen time, but I'm happy you're enjoying **_**Falling Stars**_** so far! **

**Thank you, **_**natachoco**_**. I'm trying to keep it paced well, but I'm not sure if some readers may not like how slow some things may be going, so thanks! Also, thank you for the compliment. It means a lot. For **_**cocopuff123**_**, even in a couple of words you make me smile. Thank you! x**

**THANK YOU, **_**Ebon fire Red waters**_** I'M SORRY FOR THE ANGST BUT AT THE SAME TIME NOT REALLY HAHA. It's kinda a feel-y time for Lucy at the moment… glad you enjoyed? Also, thank you **_**clumzybeans**_** as well! **

**Finally, to **_**pikaace**_**, on a simply note, thank you. I might've freaked out when I read your review. Maybe. I **_**love**_** your enthusiasm and THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING! Your words truly mean a lot.**

**What's On Your Mind?**

"You humans are an especially horrendous bother."

The comment was spoken with obvious distaste as Porlyusica returned home to find five Mages and two exceeds that hadn't been there previous to her departure. They'd only arrived recently, after all. It'd taken some time to drag Natsu and Happy out of bed so early in the morning and to find all of Grey's clothes before they arrived. How the man's shirt had ended up halfway across the Guild, one could not comprehend. Nevertheless, after gathering everyone and making sure they were dressed, the group found themselves on the pink-haired woman's doorstep and let themselves in. As Lucy was asleep, Wendy had decided to attempt to heal her, yet unfortunately all she could do was take away the girl's fever, nothing more. And now, almost over thirty minutes later, the blonde had not stirred and her friends were being stared down with an intensity that made Happy shiver.

Porlyusica fixed the group with a sharp glare as she passed by them, roughly bashing her arm against Levy's during the journey towards her kitchen without so much as even a glance in the girl's direction. The Solid Script Mage pouted slightly, absentmindedly rubbing at the stinging area as she followed Fairy Tail's Medical Advisor's movements with her eyes. Carla folded her arms with a frown upon her lips as she muttered how rude and improper the action had been under her breath. Wendy hurriedly scolded her, whispering that the healer might've heard her and then thrown them out. Happy then reminded the Sky Dragon Slayer that he was quite sure that Porlyusica would do no such thing, and the rest of the group, Natsu, Grey and Erza, that was, remained silent.

As the elderly woman had realised that these stubborn wizards wouldn't be easily moved from Lucy's side during their frequent visits, she had given up on her attempts to drive them out while waving her broom in the air in a way that made it seem like a method of torture. And as _death-by-broom_ did not seem likely to achieve on Makarov's brats, Porlyusica had simply decided to let the humans be. This, however, was not without making sure they knew of how irritated she was having them inside her home with every chance possible. Despite this, her horrid hospitality didn't waver them often, as Nakama would stay by one another's side, no matter what.

"I assume her condition has not changed during my absence." was the second thing Porlyusica said.

"It hasn't." Erza answered before glancing to the short girl beside her. "Yet Wendy did heal her of her fever."

"I tried my best." The young Dragon Slayer murmured quietly.

"Hmph." The unimpressed noise that left the healer's lips was the only response that was given before the subject was dropped.

"Will she be home soon?" Grey then asked.

"Soon." Porlyusica muttered. "All she can do for now is rest and regain her strength."

"But all she's been doing is sleeping!" Happy complained, saddened at seeing Lucy this way. He had taken a seat on the pillow that her head rested on as he watched her. "Can't she do anything else?"

"If you had lost as much Magic Energy in the same circumstances she had, _cat_," another sharp glare was sent the exceed's way, "you would not want to do much else. You should be grateful that she is still alive."

"That's correct," allowed Erza, "we should all remember that."

"Lu-chan…" Levy stepped closer and crouched down beside the bed, peering anxiously at her friend.

"She'll be alright." Natsu assured, folding his arms as he too stared down at the blonde with a sense of fondness in his eyes. "She's pretty tough, she'll be right in no time at all." He then turned his glance to Happy, grinning brightly. "And we'll go on a ton of missions, right, Happy?"

The exceed began to smile as well. "Aye, Sir!" He cheered with glee.

"Hey, don't go forgetting about us." Grey chuckled.

"That's right." Erza was smiling too as she stepped closer to her comrades. "We're a team, after all."

"You guys always hog Lu-chan!" Levy teasingly sang with false despair. "When she's recovered, I'm spending the whole day with her before any of you!" She was laughing as Lucy's teammates stared at her in mock horror.

"Like hell!" Natsu raised his fist as if looking for a challenge as he grinned. "Happy and I were her first partners, so she'll be catchin' some thieves first day back! I'd bet you a hundred jewel!"

"Well the next instalment in a series the two of us are reading is out in a few days!" Levy giggled. "So I think _we'll _be off buying it together!"

"No, I was thinking of teaching her some fighting skills," Grey pretended to drift off into deep thought when Erza butted in.

"The cake I ordered Lucy to celebrate her grand achievement against the Razor Fang Guild will be in any day now!" The scarlet-haired woman cried, eyes gleaming with delight. "So we'll be-"

"Um, everyone," Wendy said with slight awkwardness, timidly glancing back to Porlyusica, whose temper was rising alongside the volume of the wizards. "You're all being a little loud…you might wake Lucy up, and…" she pouted, seeing they weren't listening.

"They do enjoy to banter, don't they?" Carla let out a soft sigh, shaking her head although she was smiling at their childish antics.

"You guys got it all wrong!" Natsu hollered. "Lucy will be hanging out with me and Happy, fair and square!"

"Don't get too far ahead of yourself, Natsu," Erza warned in a joking way. "I think she may be growing tired of you and Happy after all the times you've broken into her home…"

"She's never really been fond of you two doing that," Levy added with a wink.

"Careful, now," Grey laughed, "or she'll get sick of you altogether!"

"NO~!" Natsu and Happy dropped onto the floor as they cried out in despair.

With that, the group burst into laughter as Porlyusica merely continued to glare at the overjoyed Mages.

The corner of Lucy's mouth quirked upwards just slightly, as if she could sense they were there.

"How about a compromise?" Carla suggested, in hopes that her proposition could calm the group down. "Everyone can stop squabbling like children and _all _spend time with Lucy together _after_ she's recovered."

"I agree," Erza nodded as she looked to her friends.

They laughed and slapped each other on the back in their own good-natured ways, quietening down for the sake of their slumbering friend.

"As I said," Porlyusica said, "you lot are an especially horrendous bother. And exceptionally noisy too." She grumbled under her breath in annoyance. "Stupid humans…"

"I wonder what her deal is…" Natsu muttered to his Guild Mates.

"Maybe she ate some bad fish," Happy whispered back.

"Ah, that's probably it," said Natsu.

"Be quiet, you two." Erza hushed as they began snickering under their breaths. "Do not forget that we are guests here."

"It's not like we have an exceptional host, though," Grey murmured as he glanced to the healer across the room, who was busying herself with a large amount of medicinal herbs.

"Nevertheless, we will still show at least _some_ respect." Erza responded.

Carla nodded.

Silence soon ensued, yet it was quickly broken by a peculiar sound that apparently came from the Fire Mage of the group.

Natsu grinned sheepishly and Grey rolled his eyes.

"Don't tell me that was your stomach," The Ice Mage groaned.

"Are you actually _hungry_, Natsu?" Levy questioned with disbelief. "I swear you ate just half an hour ago."

"I think you're mistaking him for when Erza and I were eating at the Guild this morning." Grey said.

"We picked Natsu and Happy up along the way here, remember?" Wendy added.

"Oh, yeah, I remember now." Levy laughed.

"Natsu and I haven't had anything for breakfast yet!" Happy wailed. "You guys are so cruel, waking us up without giving us any fish!"

"I'm starving over here!" Natsu cried as he gripped his stomach.

"Aye!"

"Well, we might as well feed you two before you cause a ruckus," Erza decided with a sigh. "Come on, now."

"FISH!" Happy screamed as he flew from the cottage.

"We'll be back soon, Porlyusica," Erza called as she followed after her friends.

"Hmph."

"I guess that's her way of saying goodbye," said Grey as he beckoned the scarlet-haired woman to follow. Erza didn't comment of his words, but merely shut the door behind them as they left.

After a few moments and deciding they were out of earshot, Lucy hesitantly opened her eyes and glanced around the room to assure herself that her friends were gone.

"I'm unsure as to why you'd keep something that's bothering you so deeply away from your companions."

Lucy turned her head, meeting Porlyusica's cold, scarlet irises that withheld any readable emotion. She didn't know that the healer was aware she'd been awake this entire time, nor how she also knew she was battling her own thoughts deep inside.

"If you cherish them as much as they seem to cherish you, it wouldn't be wise to hide anything that troubles you." the elderly woman continued. "Remember that." Her words were spoken with a tone of finality, and in a resigned manner that left the blonde staring thoughtfully for just a few moments.

Then she remembered her own emotions at that moment, and why she'd spent the morning giving the illusion that she was still in slumber when her friends had been crowded around her bed, waiting for her to wake.

The memory caused her chest to tighten.

**LINE BREAK**

"How is she?"

It was the question asked whenever Lucy's closest comrades returned to the Guild from one of their visits, being asked yet again. However, this time the query left Fairy Tail's latest recruit's lips before anyone else had the chance to ask themselves. It wasn't odd, either, in his new Nakama's eyes. She'd practically gotten revenge on them for the pain they'd put so many people through _for_ him. This was a fact that he wasn't going to forget any time soon. No one was sure how he was going to repay the apparent debt he had, but all they knew was that he was going to find a way.

"Maybe it's a trait," had been Evergreen's take on the newcomer's actions, "that all Dragon Slayers have all that determination in their veins."

A few murmurings of agreement were heard soon after, yet Erin had said nothing in response.

Back in the present, Erza answered his question with a simple remark, "She's been asleep the entire morning." She glanced briefly at the boy before she headed towards the bar. Her sharp gaze rested on the Guild Master residing there, and the emotion occupying a space within her sienna irises was unreadable. "Master Makarov, I wish to speak with you." Her words were spoken in a tone that allowed a sense of uneasiness to blossom within the chests of those around her. Whenever their Titania used this manner of speaking, the matter at hand was one of strong importance. Many eyes fell on the S-Class Mage as she approached the Third Master. He simply nodded in a way of acknowledging her presence before him and her request, and rose from his seat. With a swish of scarlet hair, she followed after him, only a glimpse of her serious expression seen before she and Makarov disappeared into his office. The click of the lock was the cue for curious mumblings beginning to stir between the wizards who had just watched the strange reaction.

"I wonder what that was all about," muttered Max, propping his elbows upon the table he sat at, resting his head in his hands as his gaze flickered to those beside him. Jet and Droy both shrugged, their eyes focused on Levy, whose head was buried in a book as soon as she returned to the Guild. It was the tome that Lucy desired to read like nothing else, the ancient hardback with pages of golden lettering in an unreadable calligraphy. If the Solid Script Mage wanted anything, it was to help her best friend understand the last message her mother wanted her to receive. So she stayed quiet and immersed herself in translation, equipped with her Gale-Force reading glasses, ignoring the world around her.

"You know how it goes when Erza's looking all serious like that." said Nab. "I say we better look out about getting on her nerves anytime soon."

"Then we should probably get those two to stop," said a weary Laki. The few wizards near her followed her gaze and found it rested on Grey and Natsu, who were, once again, in each other's faces and ready for another showdown.

"Well, who would want to get in between Grey and Natsu?" Warren looked uneasy as he thought about Erza's reaction if she exited the Master's office to find her team mates fighting.

As if on cue, his question was answered as Fairy Tail's front doors opened and revealed Gajeel and Juvia, arriving back from a mission they'd departed for over two weeks ago. At the sight of the two former members of Phantom Lord walked in together, Grey and Natsu paused to stare at them in slight confusion. Although the two once worked together in their previous Guild, it was just…_odd_, seeing them side by side like they were.

"Oh, welcome back, you two," Mira greeted in her usual good-natured way, waving to the wizards, glad to see they had returned safely.

"When did you guys go on a mission?" Grey asked, directing his question towards the Dragon Slayer of the duo as he attempted to dodge an oncoming Juvia racing at a speed he didn't find natural.

"Did Grey-sama miss Juvia in Juvia's absence? Juvia missed Grey-sama, yet Grey-sama may now welcome Juvia back!" The Water Mage all but cried as she leaped towards Grey, who immediately backpedalled to escape before she grasped hold of him. His efforts were in vain as she clutched to him tightly, refusing to let go while none of Grey's comrades came to his aid, despite his desperate begging. Ignoring the chaos off to the side, Natsu stepped closer to Gajeel and narrowed his eyes.

"Yeah, Metal Head, why haven't I seen you around? And why did you go on a mission with Juvia?" queried Natsu as he stared the elder Dragon Slayer down. "You've missed out on a lot lately."

"Like I'd give a damn, or tell you what I'm up to, idiot." Gajeel muttered. "Juvia and I just went on a mission, I needed the cash, after all." He shoved past Natsu and hollered at Mira, "Get me some coffee!" He sniffed the air, then, and noticed a new scent among the mix. Following the smell, he found himself staring at Erin, who was watching in return. "We got a newbie, hey? What type of Dragon Slayer are ya, kid?" He yelled gruffly.

Erin frowned. "I'm nineteen, I ain't a kid." He didn't seem to like the metallic scent of the man shouting at him across the Guild, and scrunched up his nose. "You're Redfox, right?"

"What if I am?"

"Nothin'." shrugged Erin with a chuckle. "Just try to keep the peace, hey?"

"What did you just say-"

"Oh, Dragneel, I forgot about something." He rose from his seat and headed straight past Gajeel, stopping in front of Natsu. "Are you visiting Lucy again today? Sometime later this afternoon?"

"Of course we are!" Happy called from where he was attempting to hand Carla some fish.

"Yeah." Natsu said. "Why, d'you wanna come with?"

"Not exactly."

"He's quite dead set on this, isn't he?" Mira said to Lisanna, who had just reached the bar to talk to her sister. The elder Take-Over Mage lifted a hand to her mouth, hiding the cheery smile that had settled upon her lips as she watched the Earth Mage.

"Please," Erin continued, lowering his gaze, "give these to her, it's the least I can do." In his hands laid a bouquet of flowers, tea roses to be exact. He fidgeted with the coloured paper the blossoms were wrapped in, fingertips running along the smooth surface in a nervous manner. "I'm not sure if she'll understand the meaning of them, but…"

"If you wanna thank her, why don't ya just go visit?" Natsu questioned as he took the flowers, tucking them under on arm. He cocked his head to the side. "And what d'you mean?"

"Tea roses." Erin sighed, slapping his forehead. "In my town, everyone knows that each flower has a meaning. I picked these out for Lucy because of what she's done for me?"

"So what do these mean?" Natsu asked, looking down at the roses he held.

"Ah," smiled Erin, "they mean _'I'll Remember Always'_."

**LINE BREAK**

.

"_The letter you received was written by your mother a mere fourteen months before she passed away." _

..

"_It is written in an ancient script for the fact that it is for your eyes only."_

…

"_You must understand that great power is within your reach, and that you only need to grasp hold of it." _

….

"…_this journey is only yours to travel."_

…..

These soft-spoken quotes lingered in the air around Lucy, grasping onto her and never allowing her space to breathe. She could remember each word perfectly, how each syllable rolled off the Dragon's tongue as she delivered her message before vanishing right before the Celestial wizard's eyes. It was almost as if the confrontation was haunting her like a spirit never laid to rest. The memory would not leave. Over and over, she would live through the conversation each time her eyes closed. Pondering over the vision – if it was even appropriate to call it such a thing – for hours on end was how the youngest Heartfilia had spent the day, and all it did was tighten the knots in her chest even further.

_Were _they visions, or was her imagination spiralling this entire mess into something completely out of the ordinary? Was this her subconscious answering her questions or was she just going mad?

The stars gave her no answer on this night, as they merely twinkled from their places in the dark sky above. The moonlight gave off a soft, white glow that illuminated the girl as she curled beneath her sheets, glassy eyes staring up at the heavens for nothing more than comfort.

Her lashes were damp with tears as they fluttered, yet even as she tried to blink the droplets away, more would appear and slide down her cheeks. Lucy closed her eyes tightly as a last resort as she pressed one hand against her lips to muffle the sound of crying. Holding feelings like these back would only make everything worse, she had found out over the years, and locking away her emotions would only delay the time they'd surface in the long run. So, she allowed her shoulders to tremble in her grief. The stress of this entire situation was eating away at her, as well as the horrid helplessness she felt. She normally had a love puzzles and cryptic messages just waiting to have their secrets unravelled, but the same adoration was not there this time. She just wanted the solving part of this equation over and done with.

Warmth flared against the palm of the free hand which she'd clenched into a fist in frustration. Her eyes widened and focused on her fingers as she uncurled them, only to find Stellaria's key resting there, something she did not remember grasping hold of. Her features softened, then, as she felt the gentle heat radiating off of the key, alike to the way Loke's or Plue's did whenever they sensed her discomfort even from the Celestial Spirit Realm. It was identical, the way in which this Spirit showed that it was with her when it wasn't physically near. She whispered the Dragon's name, and the light grew brighter. And as its jewels shimmered, Lucy realised that her dream had not been something of her mind's own creation.

She really had a Celestial Spirit's key in her possession.

However, if she attempted to summon it again it would likely kill her.

Lucy sighed then, reaching over and resting the key upon the end table beside her bed, watching the light fade until the room was only illuminated by the stars in the sky.

Brushing away her tears, she settled back down on her back and let her head fall onto her pillow. As the Celestial Mage yanked the covers up over her head and hugged herself beneath them, she was unable to see the gentle light on her bedside table, a soft yellow glow, barely visible yet still entirely there. It wasn't coming from any Celestial Key, that was for sure. All Lucy was aware of was the faint throbbing at the back of her head that she guessed was the indication that another headache was forming.

However, this was wrong.

It was something else entirely, merely a sign that the unknown magic slumbering in her veins was beginning to stir, starting its long journey into wakefulness.

In a tumble of stardust, the parchment beside the girl glowed as it did, a cluster of the various foreign runes upon the paper shifting, changing with a sense of mystery. They danced across the thin material, swirling until the light abruptly vanished.

When the girl awoke, she'd find a small percentage of translation completed with an ability she wasn't aware she possessed.

.

..

…


	20. Homebound

**A/N: I'M **_**SO **_**LATE AND I'M SORRY I'M A HORRIBLE PERSON. BUT FOR SOME REASON I HAVE 184 FAVS AND 236 FOLLOWS. (THANK YOU AS WELL). AND OH MY MAVIS 20 CHAPTERS. I SWEAR I PUBLISHED CHAPTER 10 YESTERDAY?!**

**Schoolwork is killing me. Papers are everywhere, and I do not joke. Task sheets, revision sheets, you name it. I'm drowning, but I've resurfaced long enough to give you this chapter. I sincerely apologize for the long wait. My only excuse is school work and responsibilities from my extracurricular activities. It's 12:38am as I give you this chapter, so I apologize for any grammatical errors. Thank you for the overwhelming support. **

**Thank you SilverGhost and Rosetta Nightstar. Here is your update, Coolanime14 and Ebon fire Red waters. Pikaace, they have a brief meeting here, but a longer one is coming up soon, don't worry. I'm glad you're excited. Alongside this, massive thank you to saracresp. (I'm sure favourting is a word somewhere, don't worry :D) Yes, this is a NaLu story, I'm just trying to give a slow romantic development so it's more in-character. Thank you for everything!**

**Homebound**

Heat emitting from the newly-made infusion resting in Lucy's hands immediately brought warmth to her cold palms and fingers as they curved around the mug. Lowering her head and slowly blowing onto the steaming beverage, Lucy watched her already distorted reflection ripple until she was no longer visible. The potion sparkled with shimmering swirls of scarlet and violet, the two colours blending together as she continued to try and cool it down. After a few moments, she brought the drink to her lips and took a sip, cursing under her breath as her tongue was scalded. Her features contorted into a grimace, displaying her displeasure at her burnt mouth, thinking bitterly at how many times she'd been scorched from heat as of recent. An image of a wall of fire coming towards her startled the Celestial Mage, making her flinch involuntarily and sink into her seat in what she guessed was shame.

Shame of the fear she had acquired that she knew could quite possibly pose a problem in the near future.

Closing her eyes, the blonde-haired teenager told herself to relax and allowed herself to mould into the comfortable seat, trying to take another sip of the vibrantly coloured liquid. Her gaze shifted away and onto Porlyusica as this time she didn't burn anything. The elderly woman quirked an eyebrow at the small smile of triumph Lucy suddenly began to wear, but didn't say anything. She was sweeping the floor with the broom she often used to chase out any human beings who happened to come by her home, and her current patient was quite surprised it had another use. One that didn't include it being a weapon. And, on the topic of cleaning, all of Lucy's belongings had been collected and were currently sitting together on a pile on her newly made bed, ready for her departure. She was returning home in a few moments, after she finished this last infusion and had one last check-up from Fairy Tail's Medical Advisor.

Draining the mug, the Stellar Mage placed it on the end table nearby and let out a soft sigh, content. The faint taste of jasmine and its lovely scent was slowly fading from her senses, yet it strangely still seemed to linger in the air around her. She was fortunate enough that the various elixirs she had consumed over the past few days had a sweet fragrance and flavour for her to enjoy. In fact, Lucy had also noticed the aroma had somehow eased her fitful slumber during her stay, even clearing her head slightly.

Poor hospitality aside, Porlyusica had a magic touch as a healer.

Said host made her way towards the girl and sat down in front of her. After a few questions, she began to examine the girl, from her pulse to her temperature. Lucy shifted uncomfortably under her intense gaze, unable to read the woman's emotions from her unchanging features.

"You seem to have completely recovered," Porlyusica's expression remained stoic as she did her final examinations of her patient, her voice nor the way she spoke showing any happiness at the matter. "You'll be fine to return back to those wonderfully loud friends of yours, as soon as you like," grumbled the healer in a fashion that Lucy wasn't sure if it was either sarcastic or plainly irritated. She rose from her seat, immediately busying herself with other tasks, as if the blonde had suddenly disappeared as soon as she had finished speaking. She also ignored Lucy as she attempted to express her gratitude, much to the Celestial Mage's displeasure.

"That's cold," the teenager said under her breath as she gathered her belongings, heading out the door without another word.

As soon as she stepped outside, a smile brightened her features as the sun's rays hit her skin, bringing warmth, something she had missed while being kept in a bed for the past few days, minus toilet breaks. Making a mental note to properly stretch out her stiff muscles once she returned to her apartment, Lucy began walking. She squinted at the intensity of the sun as she travelled throughout the forest, but nothing could bring down her good mood. She was finally heading back to her friends, to Fairy Tail.

Or as she liked to call it, her home.

**LINE BREAK **

"Morning, everyone!" Her cheerful greeting turned many heads as she waved, laughing as she saw her closest friends shoot up from their seats at the sound of her voice.

"_Lucy!" _Happy was the first to reach her with his wings, and buried his face in her chest as she closed her arms around him_. _"You're okay!"

"Of course I am," Lucy giggled, scratching the exceed behind the ears in a loving manner. She didn't miss the soft, gentle purr that erupted from his lips which made her smile. "Porlyusica is a really talented healer, after all. I'm better than ever." She assured, lifting her head as she heard footsteps and the soft clink of metal against metal that signalled Erza's approach.

"I'm greatly relieved at your full recovery, Lucy," the Requip Mage said, smiling fondly at the girl, who blushed slightly at her sincerity. "I can't tell you how worried I was, first this happened to Master Makarov, and now to you as well…" She sighed before brightening up again. "As long as you're well, that's all that matters. But, if you don't feel ready for any job requests so soon after what happened-"

"No, I've already rested a lot." Lucy said with a small laugh. "I feel like that's all I did."

"Yeah," chimed Happy as he lifted his face from Lucy's chest. "You looked so funny!" He scrunched up his features in a mocking manner to imitate what she apparently looked like while sleeping.

Lucy's eye twitched at his words. "Don't you have fish to give to someone?" She hissed through gritted teeth. _I'm back for a few seconds and the damn cat's already giving me hell, huh? _The Celestial Mage glared at the exceed as he brightened up at the thought of his favourite dish.

"Aye!" Happy cheered, flying off in search of Carla and Wendy.

"You feeling better?" a sudden weight indicated that Natsu had wrapped his arm around her shoulders as she was hit with the scent of firewood. He was grinning at her, ecstatic to see her back home.

"Yeah," Lucy nodded with a smile upon her lips as she looked from Erza and back to him. "Thanks for visiting me so often, you guys."

"Well, we couldn't just leave you alone with that old hag," Natsu shrugged. "And besides that, we're teammates! _And_ best buds, right?" he chuckled.

"That's correct." Erza nodded, smiling at his words. "We are all Nakama, and close friends. We'll always be there for each other."

"Of course we will." Lucy said sweetly, before her features showed confusion. "By the way, where's Grey?" She asked, turning her head in hopes to catch a glimpse of her dark-haired comrade.

Natsu chuckled as he pulled the girl closer. Her cheeks flushed at the action, although he didn't notice, simply grinning at his best friend. "He's been hiding all mornin'." The Fire Mage lowered his voice in case the Ice Mage was nearby, and Lucy realised he'd increased their proximity so she could hear better. "If we seem 'em, we're not supposed to tell _her_." He snickered as he tilted his head in the Rain Woman's direction, and Lucy followed his gaze. The two watched as she eagerly searched every square centimetre of the Guild for her beloved. The corner of Lucy's mouth twitched with amusement, and she was soon grinning with Natsu as she followed Juvia's movements with her eyes. "Hey, look over there," Natsu smirked in an almost triumphant fashion as he directed the blonde's attention to the bar. Using the crowd of wizards by it to shield himself, Grey was crouched, glancing wearily from his position as he tried to evade the hopeless romantic that was Juvia Lockser. Looking back to Natsu, and judging by the pyromaniac's expression, Lucy knew what he was about to do.

"You're gonna blow his cover, aren't you?" she let out a sigh as Natsu lifted his free hand. He curved it around his mouth in order to amplify what he was about to say so a certain someone would hear.

"Oi, Juvia! Stripper's over there!"

"Natsu, you frickin' idiot!" Grey stood up and shouted at his rival before making a hasty escape.

His two team mates were too busy laughing to assist him, although one of them felt slightly guilty, the other found the ordeal absolutely hilarious. Erza just seemed confused.

"Natsu…he's gonna get you back for that later, you know." Lucy murmured while they continued to watch, giving Grey a sympathetic glance as he ran out of the Guild. "If Juvia ever lets him go, that is." She shifted uneasily at the thought.

"There is a possibility of that occurring, indeed." Erza smiled in amusement. "However, if there comes a time where Grey is in actual trouble, without a doubt, Natsu, you and I would and _will_ be there for him." She turned and shook her head at the sight of Juvia's retreating figure in the distance. "On that note, I was about to suggest a job for our team to take, but it appears Grey is already occupied with other activities this afternoon. What a shame." She sighed quietly in disappointment.

"U-Uh, Erza…" Lucy laughed awkwardly, scratching the back of her head. "I'm sure Grey wouldn't mind taking a mission, because Juvia-"

"Nah, let Ice Princess take a raincheck!" Natsu interrupted, cutting off Lucy's sentence before she could change the Requip Mage's mind. He'd rather have the fun of knowing that his rival had spent the afternoon being chased down by the love-crazy Rain Woman. Why would he let Grey have the easy way out by going on a mission with them when there was such a better option available? "Let's go on the job now!"

"Is Happy accompanying us? He seems to also be preoccupied this afternoon." Erza said, raising an eyebrow at the blue cat, who was recovering from another rejection from Carla in a far corner of the Guild Hall. "I'm quite content with just the three of us going, if need be."

"What's the job request?" Lucy asked, unable to lean forward to check from Natsu's tight grip around her shoulders.

Erza opened her mouth to tell her when a certain Solid Script Mage surged forwards and stole Lucy from Natsu's hold to give the girl a hug of her own.

"L-Levy-chan!" shrieked a startled blonde. She laughed as the shorter girl squeezed her tightly, beaming with joy.

"I missed you so much, Lu-chan!" Levy whined. "It's been so dull around here without you!" She smiled brightly as she released her friend, fixing her glasses as they'd slipped down at her sudden actions. "I was so worried!"

"I'm fine, Levy-chan, you don't have to worry." Lucy said, patting the bookworm's shoulder. "But imagine how boring it was for _me_, sleeping all day and not being able to do anything!" she shook her head, placing both hands on her hips and letting out a sigh in exaggeration. "Sheesh!"

"_Sooo_, you should come on a job!" Natsu urged, growing more and more impatient. He was frowning, having folded his arms in annoyance. He'd waited for days for Lucy to come on a job with him, and now he had to wait even longer? "Wouldn't you want to do something _fun_ like chasing down some crooks, y'know after you were doing nothin' in bed all week?"

"We already talked about this the other day," Levy waved him off. "Lu-chan's hanging out with me today! I already said so! You go on jobs every other day! Let me have her for once!"

"She's my teammate!" Natsu reminded, glancing at the blonde, who had a small smile at the sight of them bickering over her. "Yo, Lucy, you wanna go on a job with me and Happy, don't ya?" Natsu ruffled her hair, laughing as she swatted his hands away and glared at him.

"I'd rather stay with Levy today if all you're going to do is mess up my hair!"

"She's going on a job with us!" Natsu insisted, ignoring her comment as he directed his statement towards Levy, who folded her arms.

"I don't think so!"

Then they both turned to the blonde, staring straight at her.

"Well?!" Natsu demanded. "Which one are you gonna pick?"

Lucy laughed, shaking her head as she lifted a hand to her mouth in an attempt to conceal her amusement. "I-I don't k-know," the Celestial Mage giggled.

"I think I do," Levy sang, nudging her friend, "you wanna know what I bought for you yesterday, Lu-chan?"

The blonde's eyes widened as she grasped Levy's hands with both of hers. "You didn't. You _haven't_, have you?!"

"I _may_ have..." Levy teased with a wink.

"You got me _Burning Stars_, didn't you?!" Lucy squealed with delight, jumping up and down as her fellow bookworm eagerly nodded and squeezed her hands back. "I love you _so_ much, Levy-chan! I have to go home and read it right now!"

"Nu-_uh_, you're coming on a job!" Natsu whined. "_C'mon_, Lucy~!"

"But I've waited for this book to come out for over a year, Natsu!" Lucy cried. "You don't understand!" she looked pleadingly towards Levy, who smirked and lifted up said novel, chuckling as the blonde swiped it from her grasp. "You actually did, wow!" Lucy hugged the tome to her chest, moving to the nearest table, sitting down and opening it. Natsu's jaw dropped as he watched her in disbelief, yet Levy just smiled in a triumphant way.

"You never get between girls and their novels, Natsu," the Solid Script Mage said wisely. "You better remember that."

Then she skipped off towards the elder girl and sat down, leaving the Dragon Slayer to mope about aimlessly. Erza gave him a warning look to stop him from pursuing their teammate, which made him drag himself over to the bar and complain to Mirajane until they were done.

**LINE BREAK**

Resting her elbow on the table, Levy propped her chin in the palm of her right hand, titling her head to the side to grasp a better view of the Celestial Mage's possession. "So, Lu-chan," she said, brightening up slightly as she noticed what chapter her friend was on, "what was chapter fourteen like, for you?" she giggled and raised her hands up in a makeshift shield as her fellow bookworm closed the novel and proceeded to jokingly attack her.

"Horrible, actually!" Lucy cried in exasperation, dropping the publication back onto the table before she hurriedly flicked back through the pages. "How could Azaria just do that to us?! I-I mean, sure, with all those demons everywhere, you'd expect there to be a lot of bloody battles…but…" She fixed her Gale-Force reading glasses back into place as she continued reading. "I just wanted one scene with Yumi and Haru together! I know they're going to be brought back together soon, but all of this foreshadowing is just getting to me and I want Yumi to just _be there_ for him!"

"I know!" Levy sighed heavily, tugging at her hair in frustration before she cried, "And what about Nagisa's character development?" causing Lucy to nod eagerly, leaning closer to express her own thoughts.

"What's wrong with them?" Natsu asked, jerking a thumb in the girls' direction.

"You know those two love their literature!" Mira was giggling softly at her friends' dramatics. "Apparently the latest novel in their favourite series came out a few days ago, and…" She let out a laugh as Levy grasped the volume to her chest and let out a pained cry, declaring that the series was becoming too hard for her to continue. "…they're not too happy with its ending, or at least how its going towards the end. I suppose it's a bit sad…" Jet and Droy had now rushed to the blue-haired girl's aid in worry for her apparent grief, although they were unsure of how to comfort her as they had no clue on what was going on. "But I do know for a fact that Lucy absolutely adores these books. Uh… Laura Azaria, I think the author's name was."

"Reading doesn't seem that fun," was Natsu's two cents on the matter as he watched Lucy with a slightly concerned expression.

"Aye!" Happy agreed. "Lucy's being weirder than usual…"

"What was that, you stupid cat?!" the Celestial Mage yelled.

The exceed snickered in response, muffling his laughter beneath his paws just as Lucy's attention was diverted from him and back onto the novel she and her friend were emotionally conversing about. The Solid Script Mage took a breath to compose herself, eyes now shining.

"If only I could meet her," Levy let out a long sigh, flicking to the back of the tome, "that'd be amazing, wouldn't it, Lu-chan?" the two girls stared at the back page of the hardcover, where details about the writer and an image of them were printed. "Ooh, wow," her voice sounded almost dreamy now, "there's a picture of her too! She's so pretty…" at her words, Lucy leant closer to observe the image and her eyes widened. The light hair and dark eyes were so familiar, her gaze quickly shifted to the script below and she made a startled noise of shock at the name and information written there.

_Laura Azaria_ _currently resides in the Kingdom of Constellar, writing in her spare time…_

"Are…are you saying you actually _met_ our _favourite_ author and didn't _realise?!_" Levy's shrill demand was bordering on a scream as she roughly grasped a hold of her friend's shoulders. "Her name is Laura, and you never made the connection?"

"B-Because she's a nurse!" Lucy stammered, yet the girl hadn't seemed to hear her. "And I'm sure there are a lot of people with the same name as her!"

"We have to go!" Levy released her before she clapped her hands together with a sudden squeal of delight. "Do you think she'd sign our books?"

"Uh…sure?" Lucy scratched her cheek, awkwardly shuffling away. "But it's such a long journey, Levy-chan!"

"That reminds me, Lucy, I'd like to have a word with you," Makarov cleared his throat, causing her to turn her head at the noise. She turned in her seat to completely face him, showing that he had her full attention as he continued. "Mirajane and I contacted the Royals of Constellar via communication lacrima while you were recovering, and I can't say I have much to tell you."

"That's all right, Master." Lucy smiled, assuring, "I'm grateful enough that you did that for me." Her hand went to the keys resting by her hip, and she patted the leather that kept the precious items safe. The Guild Master smiled at the sincerity of her words before beginning.

"They said they barely had much information on that matter, yet what small facts they did know were kept secret, so I have gained no new knowledge for you, my child." He said in a disappointed tone. "However, whatever knowledge the royals have, they wish to discuss it only with you."

"Well, it gives you an excuse to meet your favourite writer _and_ talk to the King and Queen of Constellar, doesn't it?" Mira smiled sweetly at the blonde.

"But we're going on _job_, Lucy!" Natsu whined in her ear, still impatiently waiting for her to accompany him. "You can't just ditch us like that!" He moved to start another round of dramatics, yet his scarlet-haired childhood friend stepped forward, signalling for him to silence himself. He immediately obeyed for fearing the consequences that may occur if he did not. Seeing as he was now quiet, the S-Class Mage faced Lucy with a serious expression.

"Lucy, I'm aware that this is a personal matter of importance to you, yet…" Erza's features softened slightly in concern, "the last time you attempted to dig deeper into this mystery, it almost cost you your life. For now, at least, as you've just recovered, I recommend you take a break. At least for a few days, allow your mind to clear off this topic and your body to completely heal." She folded her arms, the movement generating the sound of metal clinking against metal as her armour shifted. "This is for your own health, Lucy."

"Well, you _did_ say they didn't have much information." Lucy said, glancing to Master Makarov, who nodded at her words. "Maybe a break from this would be good…"

"_So we're going on the job!" _Natsu grasped hold of his partner's wrist and tugged her towards the Guild's front doors.

"Wait, Natsu!" Lucy cried as the doors opened, indicating someone was trying to walk inside the entrance they were zooming towards. "Slow down!" she felt him let go of her, only to send her stumbling forwards and straight into whoever was walking inside. He reached out to stop her from falling but only succeeded in sending both of them to the ground.

"Sorry, that was Natsu's fault." Lucy giggled as she climbed off of the person. She blinked a few times at the unfamiliar face, her eyes widening at the sight of the Guild Mark on his arm. "Eh?" She said, staring at them quizzically. "Who are you?"

That was all she could say before the boy got to his feet, pulled her up as well, and then dropped to his knees before her.

"I can n-never repay you," he choked out. "I'm i-in your debt."

Her features showed confusion before realisation settled in as she recalled something Erza had said to her during a brief visit. "W-Wait," Lucy murmured. "Erza mentioned you, I think…are you Erin?"

"You brought those who hurt my townsfolk to justice, I can't thank you enough." The Earth Mage gushed. "I'm in your debt, for now and forever more!"

"No, no!" Lucy shook her head and held her hands up to reassure him. "It's okay, you don't owe me anything."

"No!" He cried, jumping to his feet and grasping hold of her shoulders, startling the girl. "I have to pay you back, alright? I'll probably never be able to, but I promise-"

"Hey, it's alright, calm down," she laughed. "I don't mind-"

"You don't understand!" Erin cried. "For what you've done for me, I have to pay you back!"

Lucy moved to reply when Natsu came into view and grabbed her wrist again, ready to blow a fuse. "Can we just _go_ already?!" The Fire Dragon Slayer shouted. _"Lucy, hurry up!"_

"Natsu, hang on!" Lucy snapped. "I'm trying to talk to Erin-"

"Lucy, we must truly go." Erza called as she travelled towards them. "Or we'll miss the train."

"Sorry, Erin," Lucy apologized, squeezing his hands. "I'll have to talk to you when I get back."

"Lucy-san-"

Natsu didn't give her time to answer before he began running outside, pulling her along beside him.

However, this time she wasn't irritated.

She had missed this idiot's antics for the past few days.

Back inside the Guild Hall, Erin Magnar watched the trio head off on their mission with a thoughtful expression.

He wondered about the tea roses he'd given to his fellow Dragon Slayer a few days ago.

.

..

…

**A/N: I really wanted to write a scene with Levy and Lucy being total bookworms, sue me. :P**


End file.
